Little Miss Damsel
by Lucy Morningstar
Summary: CU, SessKag. "The one I need rescuing from is you!" While facing off a common enemy, Sesshoumaru inadvertently owes Kagome his life. And like a good old-fashioned daiyoukai, he's not going swallow it just so! He is determined to pay back his dues, but is Kagome really the damsel in distress he makes out to be?
1. Prologue: Onsen

Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and its respective owners.

"When You Were Young" written by Mark August Stoermer, Brandon Flowers, RonnieVannucci Jr, Dave Brent Keuning

 _You sit there in your heartache  
_ _Waiting on some beautiful boy to  
_ _To save you from your old ways  
_ _You play forgiveness  
_ _Watch it now, here he comes  
_ - **When You Were Young** , The Killers

 **Prologue: Onsen**

"Do you know that I'm actually scared of being in deep water? It doesn't matter whether it's a hot spring like this one or the big blue sea. I'm just suddenly reminded of my childhood fear."

It was a quiet night. Kagome and Sango were shoulders-deep in the _onsen_ , their faces flushed pink in the relaxing warmth of the pool.

Whatever stiff muscles they incurred from hiking to the mountain top had been thoroughly soothed and forgotten. Even Shippo had joined them, as the little _kitsune_ floated alongside with the ladies with a buoy around his hips.

Earlier that day Kagome had sensed a subtle, fleeting cry of a _shikon_ shard, so fine it might, or might not have been real. Deciding to trust her guts, she managed to sway Inuyasha and the others towards the peak of the mountain, only to reach barren lands devoid of any _youkai_ activity. The only consolation was the surprising little hot spring cosying behind a large rocky formation, but Inuyasha had been pissed off as hell at her, and he as everyone knew, was always pissed.

Kagome glanced in surprise at Sango who had spoken earlier, just as Shippo kicked his little legs towards them.

"Scared of the water? For real?" Shippo went. "I wouldn't have guessed that at all, Sango-chan. You're the most kickass woman I know."

Kagome nodded vehemently. "Totally agree. Nothing about the way you hurl your Hiraikotsu screams aquaphobia!"

Sango laughed at her friends' reactions. "Well, I was pretty young back then. Kohaku and I were searching for mushrooms in the woods—when we were greeted by this beautiful, small lake in the middle of nowhere. It had a deep shade of cerulean that became darker the more I stared at it. I jumped into the water without thinking, swimming with so much excitement, when suddenly my right calf was seized by a muscle cramp. I was struck with so much pain that I could not move at all. "

Kagome and Shippo gasped. "What then?" he urged.

"I panicked, of course. I thought the lake was going to swallow me whole and I was going to die. When I came to, I was lying flat on the dry grass, and Kohaku's face was against the blue sky peering at me from the corner, all wide-eyed and afraid. My wee little brother had saved his big older sister. It was on that day when my fear of the deep waters became instantly printed into my being like a hot seal. That, plus the realization that for as long as I live, I will owe Kohaku my life."

Kagome and Shippo glanced at each other, their mouths shaped in an O.

"I really can't imagine how that must have felt," Kagome said. "Are you saying that it still scares you, even now?"

"Honestly I wouldn't even dare step into this _onsen_ if you guys weren't beside me."

Shippo mulled over it. Then he said, "Isn't it funny how it was a cramp that defeated you and not some scary demon? Me too. I'm scared of thunder. No matter how I imagine otherwise, it just reminds me of my dad. How about you? Aren't you scared of anything, Kagome-chan?"

Kagome laughed, waving a dismissive hand. "Gee, of course I am. I'm only human."

"Nah. I'm _youkai_ and I'm still scared of something."

Kagome managed a kind smile. "I'm scared of crows," she then said.

"Crows?" Sango repeated, perplexed.

"Yeah. I guessed I got pretty traumatized of them ever since one robbed the _shikon_ jewel off me. The rest is history."

The three of them sighed heavily. _Then again_ , Kagome thought, _if that stupid crow hadn't stole the jewel, Inuyasha and I wouldn't be scuttling all around Old Nippon for shards, and I definitely wouldn't be hanging out in this spring with Sango and Shippo right now. Hmm. It's like a really long domino effect._ A chilly breeze blew over the hot spring, accompanying her thoughts, and it broke goose-bumps all over her.

"You know what else scares me beside those pesky birds? Getting my skin all wrinkly like a dried currant! Let's go guys!" Kagome straightened herself up, before cautiously treading her way out of the water.

Shippo looked after her then at Sango. "Gee yeah, we've been in here for way too long! Inuyasha and Miroku might be wondering what the hell happened to us."

Her pale feet touched the muddy banks of the spring. It was dark, and Kagome couldn't see well. Her towel kept unravelling and she struggled to keep it upright, whilst trying to manage her footing at the same time.

Then it happened. Her foot gave way to the uneven, slippery ground and Kagome lost her balance.

" _Kyaaaaa!_ " she cried out. Her hands flew in panic, one foot kicked up in the air, back tilted over. Then she saw a flash of white, and her body landed into something gentle, not unlike the hard ground she had anticipated. A shift of long silver hair flitted in her peripheral vision.

"Oh God, thank you, Inu—"

"You slipped," said a hard and cold voice near her ear. Kagome stiffened—it wasn't Inuyasha.

"And your pitiful human existence would very well have ended here…" the person continued, and goose-bumps broke all over her again, harder this time because it was a voice she recognized and it had a horrible quality to it, knowing exactly to _whom_ it belonged to, and almost _waaay_ impossible given the situation—" if this Sesshoumaru had not interfered to save your puny, insignificant life."

Her breath caught in her throat. Kagome steeled herself to look up his face.

 _Yuppo, it's him, alright. Say, this is the first time I've seen Sesshoumaru up this close—I didn't know he had quite a sharp nose on his face, talk about having_ too _perfect features—_

His sharp, gleaming eyes narrowed. "We're _even_ now," he said.

Kagome screamed.

Sango and Shippo, who had been watching the whole spectacle from the hot spring in sheer horror, finally found their voices, and they too started screaming. Because why not? Inuyasha's dangerous _youkai_ half-brother had appeared out of nowhere and was cradling Kagome like a baby.

Kagome thrashed in his arms like a new-born foal, his large fluffy pelt at his side almost suffocating her in the face. She managed to scramble off, backing away at least a few feet from him.

"Cease your screaming, you damnable lot."

"Wha—What are you doing here?"

Sesshoumaru looked away with a quiet huff, and Kagome's confusion ballooned.

"It was just a simple slip," Kagome said, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I don't understand why you had to rush in to help."

He took a while to respond and when he did, his words were soft, but somewhat familiar.

" _A small gesture of gratitude would have sufficed, but even that must be hard coming from you_."

"What?"

"An eye for an eye," Sesshoumaru then simply growled.

"Eye for an eye?" Kagome repeated, bewildered. Then it hit her. "W—wait. Hold on. Tell me this has _nothing_ to do with what happened that time with that Demon Child-Eater. I did thwart a deadly attack on you but—"

His canine teeth gritted against each other the moment the Demon Child-Eater incident was mentioned. His fine eyebrows furrowed into grooves on his darkening face. Kagome's jaw dropped.

 _I know Sesshoumaru's lofty pride as a proud human-hating daiyoukai is something not to be trifled with, but this is ridiculous._ "So…you were trying to return the favour with that weird attempt to…"

"This matter is not a subject for debate." He brushed back his long hair with his fingers, haughty as ever. "As I said, we are even now and so I shall no longer pursue this."

"No!" Kagome suddenly burst, before Sesshoumaru could turn to leave. She pointed an angry finger at him, shaking. "Erase those thoughts! You did _not_ save me! I was _not_ in danger! That act was extremely unwarranted and made no sense at all!"

He raised an eyebrow slightly. "So you deny the possibility that when you fell, you could have cracked your skull open on a rock and have your brains spilled like a fruit?"

"No! I would have landed on my butt and have a sore bum, but that's all! And my head is not a fruit!"

"Then that would have increased the likelihood of you fracturing your tailbone, or in the worst case scenario, your spinal cord and then you will be rendered with paralysis—"

"Stop that!" Kagome was hopping mad now. "Stop making me sound like a pathetic, helpless little weakling! I lost my balance and that was all!"

A slight frown dusted over his face. Sesshoumaru was confused.

"But I was under the assumption that you were supposed to play the role of the damsel in distress in Inuyasha's group. I distinctly remember it was your voice incessantly screaming for Inuyasha's help on almost every..."

"No, no, _NO_!"

Shippo glanced at Sango beside him. "You know, I thought the same thing too," he quickly whispered.

Kagome's towel finally drooped loose from the mad jig she performed. By the time she realized it had fully dropped at her feet, it was already too late. She was standing buck naked in front of every one without a single thread on her. In front of her friends—who were still in the _onsen_ , in petrified disbelief—and most mortifyingly right before Sesshoumaru, who simply rewarded her with a miniscule lift of his eyebrow…

 _"Kagome! Sango!"_

Inuyasha and Miroku had rushed to the spring upon hearing the feminine screams in the still night that could only belong to a particular group. Everything was one big web of confusion for the _hanyou_ , who only moments ago had been awakened rudely during a much-needed nap. He hadn't had a decent rest for almost three days, and when Kagome suggested to scale the small mountain, he had said no immediately. But as usual she never listened, even pushing the others to follow her. Yeah sure he was stronger than his peers but he was half-human too, in case anyone conveniently forgot, and not some super- _youkai_ Kagome secretly hoped he was…

Inuyasha shook his head clear of his thoughts when he saw Kagome, who was crouching naked on the ground— _mmmmm that butt_! his inner voice hooted—for some reason, and then there was—what the holy f— _Sesshoumaru?_

Kagome grabbed her towel and started screaming for the umpteenth time, wishing the ground would just split and consume her.

 _"Inuyasha don't look at meeeee! Osuwari osuwari osuwari!"_

Seeing that Inuyasha had been immobilized, Miroku took upon himself to approach the _onsen_. He squatted near its edge, then cast a wary glance at the silent daiyoukai from afar. "Can someone explain what is going on here? Shippo, Sango?"

"You won't believe us even if we told you," Sango sighed.

"Alright, can the both of you at least leave the hot spring?"

"We can't!" Shippo cried. "We're _naked_!"

Sesshoumaru clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Ridiculous," he muttered, as he turned to leave.

"I'm not done with you yet, mister!"

He paused and turned to look over his shoulder at the strange _miko_ , who was still crouching on the ground whilst scowling like a furious cat. "The score is still 1-0!"

His golden eyes flashed back, and Kagome reeled for a second there. _Uhhh, he's not going to kill me, is he?_

"So there is a scoreboard now. I see. You think this is a game, no?"

"N-no, I don't really want to play with you—"

And then Sesshoumaru's lips broke into a small smile, one that froze her tongue half-way.

"We shall see, Little Miss Damsel. We shall see."

Kagome watched as he sauntered off into the night, his white figure disappearing into the distance, utterly speechless.

 _Did he—did he just called me Little Miss Damsel?!_

"Ugh, my head," Inuyasha groaned somewhere, lifting his head from a crater that was shaped just like him, a perfect sat-Inuyasha silhouette. "For cripes' sake, someone just kill me…"

"Inuyasha! _OSUWARI!_ "

 _To be continued!_

 **[A/N: Just another one of those dumb plots that visit my mind occasionally. Let's hope we find out in the next chapter who the damsel really is, eh? Anyway I'm trying my best to make everyone stay in character here, so forgive me if Kagome is a bit annoying because…well she is….in a way… *runs from her fans*]**


	2. I'm Going Flower-A-Pickin' (Part I)

**One: I'm Going Flower-a'-pickin' (Part I)**

It all started when Shippo decided to go flower-picking.

A few days before Kagome had shown them a book, of which its pages were adorned with various pressed flowers, their colours still vibrant and crisp as the day they were picked.

"I did it for my art class," Kagome said. "What do you think?"

"It's hella neat!" Shippo exclaimed. He had been thoroughly impressed, and now he too wanted his own flower-pressed book.

And so, one fine day in the height of spring, Shippo had gone into the woods by himself, whistling a merry tune as he plucked little stems and tucked flowers into his belt.

And that was when the Demon Child-Eater saw him.

"Hello, my little kit," she rasped. Shippo saw her shadow looming over the bush of red camellia flowers. He flung around as if a bee had stung him.

The woman was very beautiful, so beautiful in fact that he knew instantly she couldn't be human. Her white porcelain skin and red-tinged lips beckoned to him.

"H-hello. I'm Shippo."

"And my name is Okuni. Are you picking flowers?" she asked, tilting her head as if studying an interesting specimen. Her voice was a bit strange, like the rumbling of gravel stones.

"Yeah, and I think you're the prettiest one I've seen yet," Shippo mumbled before he could stop himself.

She raised her head and laughed a loud gurgling cry, and then he saw her long fangs, glinting in the spring sun, and his blood quickly ran cold.

"Ah, you're a cheeky little one, aren't you?" she said. Her smile had transformed into a large grin, one that was a bit too big for her angelic face, and he could see all of her sharp teeth now, each deadly like a _tantō_ blade. She bended closer to him. Her right arm pulled on a large burlap sack hoisted on her back, and it seemed to be squirming as though something alive was within it.

Shippo stilled, as a flower fell from his fingers.

"I always like the cheeky ones. They have a tart flavour to them. How would you like to make me even beautiful, my dear Shippo?"

The next thing Shippo knew, he was tumbling into a strange place filled into darkness, and the shrill cries of help he had never noticed before.

"Oof!" he cried, as he landed on a sea of other demon children, their faces a frosty white, brimming with tears.

"Shippo-chan! Shippo, is that you?"

The squirming mass of bodies underneath him shifted and a head popped out. Shippo squinted, then gasped. It was Rin, that human girl who travelled alongside Sesshoumaru.

"Rin! You're in here too? What in the world is going on?" he yelled, trying to raise his voice amidst the ringing cries of the other children.

"We're doomed, that's what we are!" Jaken popped out beside her. "We're all going to be eaten!"

The children cried even harder. "What do you mean?" they all chorused.

"We've been abducted by Okuni-baba!" Jaken replied.

"Okuni…baba?" Shippo went. "You—You mean she's actually an old hag in disguise? I knew it! There was something _off_ about her!"

"She's not just old, she's ancient! Okuni-baba is an infamous cannibalistic ogre who uses children to make her Elixir of Youth. She skins them alive and boils them to the bones. Or is it the other way round?"

"And then she d-drinks it?" asked a furry wolf cub from the corner.

Jaken's eyes narrowed like stilts. "She doesn't just drink them—she sells the elixirs on the black market!"

" _Noooooo!"_

" _I want my mommy!"_

" _Someone save us!"_

"Everyone just hang on!" Rin called out to the others. "Sesshoumaru-sama will come and he will save us all! He always does!" A strange hope lit up her face. "Everyone, let's call out for Sesshoumaru-sama so he can hear and find us quickly!"

 _"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama!"_

Shippo wanted to tell her, and the other kids as they chanted her lord's name feverishly, that the sack had noise-proof abilities. But he was occupied with another thought. Would his own friends come to rescue him? Could he count on Inuyasha with the same unabashed hope Rin had for Sesshoumaru?

"Hey Inuyasha. It's almost dusk now."

Inuyasha's thumbs were punching buttons on the handheld Tetris game that Kagome brought for him. It was probably the next best thing after instant ramen, for he had never come across anything so intriguing before. Trust her strange world to come up with such things.

He muttered a curse as he slotted in a wrong piece at the finishing part, and the screen flashed mockingly with the words: 'GAME OVER'

"What is it?" he snapped at Kagome.

Kagome frowned at him. "Are you addicted to that game or what? All you do is play that thing all day and all night. You don't even sleep. And right now you aren't even listening to me."

"Well you're the one who gave it to me, right? So _technically_ it's mine now and I can do whatever I want with it."

Kagome rolled her eyes, holding the urge to punch him. "Anyways, it's pretty late and Shippo still hasn't returned yet. He can't have lost his way, can he?" After all foxes, like dogs, were equipped with a superior sense of smell.

"Beats me. Must be so engrossed in his pansy flower collection that he forgot what time it is."

"Aren't you the least worried?"

"Mmmmm…nope," Inuyasha replied, and Kagome realized he was back on his Tetris game, restarting the previous level.

 _I swear he can't be depended on at times_.

"Inuyasha?"

"…Yeah?"

" _Osuwari_."

" _…gyaahh!"_

Kagome turned towards the others. Sango and Miroku were huddled on the grassy slope close beside each other, looking all suspiciously cosy. She creeped up behind them. Sango was painting her toes with Kagome's pink nail polish, as Miroku watched closely beside her, and then he too brushed his own toes with polish. Kagome's smile quirked. The priest had purple toes on him.

"Ah, Kagome-sama! Is anything wrong?" he suddenly turned. Sango smiled at her, giggling a bit coquettishly.

Kagome laughed as she took a step back. "Nothing's wrong! Just checking up on you guys. Say, Sango-chan, would you mind I borrow Kirara for awhile? Shippo's been out pretty late, and I'm kinda getting worried."

"Oh! Do you need me to come along too?"

"Nah, it's okay! I'll be fine on my own. And those toenails rock, girl!"

"How about mine, Kagome-sama?" the priest asked as he wriggled his purple toes about.

"They rock too, Miroku."

"Hey Kirara, are you sure Shippo went this way? That's a lot of ground we've covered."

Kirara growled in affirmation as Kagome sighed on her back. It had been half an hour since since they searched for Shippo in the woods, but all in vain. She gave a cry in surprise as Kirara leapt from the forest grounds, and began to soar through the darkening sky. Her breath hitched as she turned to marvel at her surrounding sights. To her left, the sky was tinged with a peachy orange, blood-red fingers clawing towards the setting sun. To her right however it had faded into a cool lilac-lavender, the moon quietly peeking from afar against a starry indigo-black canvas.

The miles flashed past below her feet.

 _Woah_ , she thought as she gripped on Kirara's scruff, her legs digging into her sides, _this is even further than I thought. Something didn't happen to Shippo, right? God, please tell me everything is okay!_

Sesshoumaru's nose scrunched. The cloying smell of citrus weighed heavily in the air. It infiltrated straight from his nostrils into his lungs, its pungent acridity building up in his throat like bile. He covered his hand over his face.

Of all the smells, why citrus?

Earlier during the day when he had returned from a three-day absence ("I have adult demon matters you won't understand", in case anyone asked), he discovered Jaken and Rin had been abducted, and based from Ah-Un's grunts and neighs in his attempt to convey a story, it appeared that a strange woman with a big sack had taken them away. It took Sesshoumaru all of his resolve to _not_ just leave them and let those two trouble-makers just suffer for once.

A chimney blowing clear smoke emerged into view, and it seemed to be the agonizing source of the smell. Sesshoumaru steeled himself to approach the brick-house looming before him, a sturdy establishment sitting smack in the middle of the woods.

There was a sign written on the door: 'PLEASE WAIT TO BE SERVED' Sesshoumaru invited himself in anyway, then wished he had not.

A burst of citrus blasted into him the moment he entered. Sesshoumaru's chest lurched violently in reflex as he retched his throat out. _What in tarnation_ , he thought, as saline tears pricked the corner of his eyes.

"Who are you?" a female's voice floated in his ear. It was a peculiar voice, like the rumbling of gravel stones.

Sesshoumaru straightened himself up and brushed his hair back, trying to regain his dignified air after that horrible coughing fit just now.

He saw the woman hunched over a large pot, boiling over a hearth where glowing coals collected. She was stirring its contents with a long stick. His eyes flicked to the back of her house however. There were cages and cages stacked all over against the brick walls, and in these cages were trapped _youkai_ children, its young captives all crying, all pleading for help.

"Excuse me, I'm talking to you. Didn't you see the sign outside?" the woman said again. She was decidedly beautiful, her features fine like a hand-crafted doll—a bit pity her voice was but ghastly. And then she continued stirring the pot as if a casual conversation was taking place. "The harvest has just started; you _have_ to be put on a waiting list."

"Harvest?" Sesshoumaru's voice strained behind his hand, still cupped over his stinging face. Damn this smell and damn himself for having a superior nose. Then his eyes roved all over the cages again and it dawned on him.

"You're harvesting these children," he stated coldly.

"Of course! They're the main ingredient for my Age-Defying Elixir—specially concocted by me, Okuni, to stall beauty in its highest prime. I only use _youkai_ ones, of course. I have absolutely no use for those short-lived human mortals."

Sesshoumaru's hand flew to his Bakusaiga's hilt in reflex.

"Hey, hey!" the woman named Okuni called out. "Stop waving that sword about. Sweet Bentei, didn't your folks teach you about manners in somebody's house?"

"That girl you abducted along with the _kappa_. She is human."

"Ha! Don't joke with me. Do you think I've gone senile and can't differentiate between a wee human child and a _youkai_? She has _youkai_ stench all over her!" And then Okuni's eyes widened as she gave him a wary once-over, particularly at the large sword in his hand, pulsating with an ominous green aura. "Wait—you aren't a customer. Are you in alliance with the APCO?"

"APCO?"

"The Anti-Poaching Child Organization!"

He shrugged. "I am not affiliated with such a cause," he replied, and Okuni clutched her chest in relief, "However if you do not surrender those two right now, I may just have to serve you with _my_ kind of justice."

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" A familiar child's voice rang in the air. Sesshoumaru whirled, his eyes searching for the right cage. It was hard to ascertain Rin's scent, not when his olfactory senses were in distress. He finally caught on to her, struggling inside a cramped space with Jaken and another _kitsune_ who looked vaguely familiar.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Jaken cried behind the bars, bawling his tears out. "I knew you would come to save us!"

"Get us out of this cage! I don't wanna die just yet!" Shippo yelled. All the other children howled unanimously.

Sesshoumaru leapt forward, but Okuni quickly blocked his way in a flash, her face marred with a large hissing grin.

"Out of the way, you grizzly mutt. No one barges in through my door and meddles with my operation!"

"Tsk," Sesshoumaru went. Using Bakusaiga in such a close proximity with the children was unadvisable in this situation, and he quickly retracted his sword back to its scabbard. His hand shot out to produce a green lash of _youki_ —but Okuni dodged just in time, as it grazed past her gleaming obsidian hair. A few strands floated off. She recoiled in shock, before her face contorted in a fit of rage.

"Not my hair!" Okuni screeched. She pulled out a large, heavy metal fan that magically appeared from her bosom, then lunged it against his direction.

"You'll pay for that with the wrath of my _tesson!_ Tender Breeze!"

Sesshoumaru froze, as the flow of air revolted against him, storming into a tumultuous, impenetrable wall. It was so lightning-quick that he only managed to evade by swinging his arm across his face, but it had exploded on his body, crashing him out of the house.

When he recovered he discovered to his shock, that his armour had cracked, and his chest plate had split open. Sesshoumaru stared at Okuni who had stepped out, seething before him, weapon gripping in her hand. This woman had abducted Rin and Jaken, and now she had managed to destroy his armour with just a single blow of her _tesson_. Okuni, she said her name was. The more he placed the clues, the more it became clearer—she really was _the_ Okuni-baba the court ladies liked to mention in his circles. But that only meant she had to be a few thousand years old…

He surveyed his surroundings. They were outside now. Good.

"Step back, little pup," Okuni warned. "I may look young and oh-so-gorgeous, but I have lived centuries wiser than you. Don't make me use my _tesson_ for a second time—that was just a little warning."

He brushed the dirt of his pelt. "Tender Breeze, huh. That was as tender as it gets."

"Sesshoumaru!" another voice called out from afar.

Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder, squinted, then cursed inwardly. It was Inuyasha's lass, of all people. Mounted on her _neko_ ride, she bounced closer to him from the distance. And she was alone, which was strange.

"Ah, I knew it was you!" Kagome said, a disturbing smile lighting up her face.

Sesshoumaru's jaw tensed as his eyes darted from Okuni then to Kagome, grasping the situation slowly.

 _I knew it,_ he chided himself. _I should have just stayed earlier._ _Things are progressing nicely, no? And the human lass just has to see me in this improper, dishevelled state._

Sesshoumaru took a deep, acrid, citrus-y breath, and exhaled aloud. Running his hair slowly through his fingers, he cocked an eyebrow at her and asked.

"Are you here for the _kitsune_?"

 ** _Wait for the next chapter!_**


	3. I'm Going Flower-A-Pickin' (Part II)

**Two: I'm Going Flower-A-Pickin', Part II**

" _Kitsune_?" Kagome's eyes shone. "Ah you mean Shippo! Yes, Kirara bought me here, following his scent. Does this mean you know where he is?"

Sesshoumaru smirked over her ignorance, then gestured his head towards Okuni. "Why don't you ask her?"

Kagome turned. The woman was a young, astounding beauty with gleaming obsidian hair and delicately formed elfin ears, but a dangerous metal fan was brandished in her intimidating grip.

Kagome figured the woman had something to do with Shippo's disappearance. "You! What did you do to Shippo, you…you…pretty…evil…"

Okuni craned her neck in puzzlement. And where did this human girl come from?

"Enough," Sesshoumaru growled to the stuttering Kagome. "You're only being a hindrance."

Kagome gripped her fists tightly. "You said she has Shippo. It's _my_ business, too!"

"Shippo?" Okuni lit up over the mention of his name, a smile suddenly poised on her red lips. "Ah, that cheeky little kit you mean? Yes yes, I do have him locked up in my cage. I intend to brush his fur nicely, before I chop his little tail off, and _then_ I'll toss him in the boiling pot. That way, it's easier to skin him."

"L-locked up? C-chop? B-boiling pot?" Kagome blabbered.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Skin?"

"Yes, all to produce my glorious, wonderful Age-Defying Elixir of Youth!" And then Okuni raised her head and started crackling with laughter, her gritty voice echoing through the trees in the night.

"You horrible Demon Child-Eater!" Kagome impulsively pulled out an arrow from the quiver on her back, stringing it tight against her bow. "Take this!"

Her arrow shot forward, slicing through the air towards the still laughing Okuni…and then it missed by a foot.

She heard Sesshoumaru expel a frustrated sigh.

"I almost hit her, okay!" she defended herself.

"I told you to stay put. Now leave before you make a further fool out of yourself."

"I'm just trying to help."

"Then do me a favour and _don't_."

"Hah! I may be fifty paces backward, but you look like a hundred, at least. Seems like she messed your armour pretty bad, Sesshoumaru. Are you sure _you're_ up to it?"

Okuni watched as the arrow stuck itself to a tree, flaming, charged with a considerable amount of potent _reiki_. She began to study Kagome with a different perception now. Was the human girl some kind of _miko_? She didn't look the part, however—what with those distasteful, ugly clothes.

Hmm. A _daiyoukai_ and a strange human. The two of them seemed well-acquainted, as they squabbled over who should finish her off. How endearing. There was something that had been niggling at the back of her mind the first moment she saw Sesshoumaru, and now she finally remembered.

"Wait," she called. "Those marks on you, _youkai_ , they're bearings of the western dogs, aren't they? You… You don't happen to be InuTaisho's son, would you?"

She saw his face quirk over her words, and she clapped her hands and laughed.

"My, my. I guessed as much. Yes, I do remember him one bit. He's the one who sealed Ryukotsusei, isn't he?" Okuni tapped on her chin. "But… What is it with you _inuyoukai_ keeping human mistresses? I heard that it serves like some sort of good luck charm, but is that true?"

Kagome immediately sensed the way Sesshoumary's _youki_ had spiked beside her, generating more heat than usual. His usual stoic expression had quietly turned livid, his eyes hard-set, his canine fangs bared in a low, menancing growl.

 _Uh-oh,_ Kagome thought. _He doesn't like this subject one bit._

"Such an odd family trend. Now that I think of it, your grandfather had one too, and your great grandfather, and your great great…"

"Silence!" he snarled, and his hand returned to his Bakusaiga, heaving it out. Kirara lurched back as Sesshoumaru slashed the air with a powerful swing towards Okuni. A wave of deadly _youki_ crackled from his sword, coursing towards her. The Demon Child-Eater merely smirked however, as she flapped open her _tesson_ , and returned his attack with her own, with one heavy swipe of her weapon.

 _"_ You never learn, do you, pup? _Gust of Karma!"_ Okuni shouted. Like her previous move, the wind howled to form a large unsurmountable barrage of air that threatened to crash on Sesshoumaru. But this time it was different. It did not only reverse his flow of malevolent energy, her attack came with a deafening high-pitched whistle.

Sesshoumaru, along with Kirara, froze. Their minds came into a complete stand-still as the mind-numbing sound assaulted their ears and reached deep into their heads, and seemingly switched off a button somewhere. Kagome witnessed with growing horror as Sesshoumaru's attack came bouncing back to him, almost like an effect of Inuyasha's _Bakuryuha—_ but he was doing nothing to thwart, or even dodge. She quickly realized Kirara was strangely rooted to her spot as well.

 _That strange whistle—it's messing up with their heads! She's gonna kill Sesshoumaru if he doesn't move—_

Instinctively, her legs scrambled themselves off Kirara. She didn't have time to think, she just _moved_.

"Sesshoumaru!" she shouted. Kagome threw herself before him and deftly pointed a holy arrow towards the mad heated swirl of _youki_ threatening to melt the skin off her face. She screamed and shut her eyes as her fingers released the tight bow-string.

The wind roared and howled in her ears in what seemed like an eternity. For a moment Kagome's mind was a static, blurry mess. She didn't feel a thing when her body was flung aback from the recoil of the opposing forces, knocking into Sesshoumaru's, as they both rolled together like logs on the ground.

When her consciousness finally reached her, Kagome's eyes creaked open. She could feel the grass prickling her neck, and the strange smell of citrus in the cool night-air.

Kagome raised herself, and propped against her elbow. She saw Sesshoumaru in the distance, a tall white figure against the dark, but this time he was surrounding by little children, all scampering and hopping around his knees. She didn't know where they came from, but he must have done something, for them to be so awe-struck at his being.

It was undoubtedly a strange sight to wake up to. Sesshoumaru, surrounded by kids?

"Thank you so much!" a furry wolf cub cried, hugging Sesshoumaru's leg. "Now we can return to our mothers!"

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Thank you for saving our lives!" Jaken's familiar voice rose out among the chatter, grovelling at his lord's feet. "Once again I pledge my loyalty to you!"

Beside him, Rin beamed. "I told you! Sesshoumaru-sama will always come to save the day!" she said triumphantly to the other kids.

"Kagome-chan!" Kagome's breath hitched as Shippo ran towards her, his emerald-green eyes awashed with tears. She sighed in relief as the little kit jumped into her chest, sobbing in her embrace. "You came for me…"

"There, there. Tell me about it later, alright," she cooed, stroking his soft head.

Sesshoumaru sighed, then dragged his feet off from the litter of young _youkai_ he had freed from their cages. He walked ahead. Behind him, Jaken and Rin tailed with a bounce in their steps.

A stone threw itself, narrowing missing his shoulder from the back. Sesshoumaru immediately reeled and glared at Kagome, who stood with her arms perched against her hips.

"What?" he said.

"What?" she repeated. "What _what?_ So you're just gonna hog the limelight like it was just you who stole the show? Like seriously, dude?"

"You speak in strange terms, lass. Clarify yourself."

Kagome flourished in her anger for a while, hopping all over the grass as a perplexed Shippo looked on, then took a deep breath to calm herself down. Alright fine, so technically he did save Shippo, but it doesn't change the fact that _she_ —

"A small gesture of gratitude would have sufficed, but even that must be hard coming from you," she muttered bitterly.

Sesshoumaru snorted, then continued his pace. "Let's go, Jaken," he said at length.

Kirara appeared and nuzzled Kagome's palm, as if sensing her distress. Kagome smiled at her. "Come on, Shippo-chan," she then said, as they both mounted on the cat demon _._ "We're a long way from our friends."

"Did something happen between you and Sesshoumaru?" Shippo asked innocently, once they were back soaring into the skies.

Kagome sighed aloud. "Oh Shippo-chan, you won't believe me even if I told you." Then her lips cracked in a devilish grin.

"But I literally saved Sesshoumaru's ass."

 _Wait for the next chapter!_

 **[A/N: It's really hard for me to update now, as I have school whilst needing to perform work overtime (my schedule is crayy) so yeahhhh please be patient! I love you all, and reviews always make my day. =)]**


	4. Girls Should Not Sing in the Kitchen

**A/N: Hey! Guess who should be studying for the coming exams but instead is updating her fanfiction… *smiles in procrastination***

 **Three: Girls Should Not Sing in the Kitchen**

 _"_ You have my heaaart, and we'll never be worlds apaaart…"

"Kagome-chan," Sango said, slicing through the radishes while Kagome peeled the potatoes beside her, "You know what they say about young ladies singing in the kitchen. You don't want to end up marrying an old man!"

Kagome giggled as she tossed a bare, skinless potato into a wooden bowl. "Oh Sango-chan, that's just an old wives' tale. Besides, technically we are not in a kitchen. We are in a campsite."

" _Technically we are not in a kitchen_ ," Inuyasha mocked up above from the tree branch he was lounging on, and Kagome hurled a potato at him.

"Ah, ah," the priest went, wagging a finger as he watched the pot with Shippo. "As much as it is a mere old wives' tale, there is a moral to be learned from it. What do you think it is, Kagome-sama?"

"What's wrong with marrying an old man?" Shippo piped, as he helped to stoke the bonfire raging underneath the pot. A brown stew simmered inside, filled with pigeon meat, spoils from the men's morning hunt. "My mom was really young when she met my dad. And he already grew nine long tails then."

"Wow, so he was a full-fledged _kitsune._ Those are really rare now," Sango said.

"Yup, a mighty full-fledged one he was!" Shippo replied, glowing with pride.

Mighty…full-fledged… The words echoed in Kagome's mind. It had been some time after the incident where Shippo was kidnapped, and around a fortnight after that embarrassing _onsen_ episode. Kagome could still recall what the Demon-Child Eater had mentioned to Sesshoumaru. About that strange habit of keeping human mistresses in his family as good luck. She wondered if Inuyasha knew. She didn't think he would be thrilled to talk about it though.

"Baby 'cos in the daaaark, you can't see shiny caaaars—Ahhh!" Kagome gasped as she instantly dropped her knife and it clattered on the ground. A drop of blood trickled from her trembling finger.

Miroku smiled at her knowingly. "And that's why, young ladies shouldn't sing in in the kitchen."

"It's—it's just a small cut!" she said, trying to reassure everyone. "Hey Sango-chan, could you get my plaster from my bag—"

Suddenly there was a strong gust of wind, and the potatoes and radishes started rolling off the ground.

"Stay still," said a voice. "I shall staunch your wound."

Sesshoumaru the proud, honourable Lord of the Western Lands, _the mighty, full-fledged daiyoukai_ had appeared in a blink, kneeling close beside Kagome. It was as though the wind had brought him there. She looked up to his face, assessing it against the wide azure skies. Aloof and unsympathetic as usual. And darn, he had longer eyelashes than her. She blinked in a daze over his words.

"Hold yourself together," he said, his eyes bright and intense as they locked onto hers, "and whatever you do, _do not go to the light_ …"

Kagome snapped back to reality. "You again!"

"Yes, and you shall thank this Sesshoumaru now for being the savior of your tragic existence."

"I'm not as pathetic as you think! It's just a nick!"

"A nick?" Sesshoumaru repeated, his eyebrows delicately knitted.

"I'm not going to die!"

"No?"

A branch cracked up above before a thump resounded heavily on the ground.

"Okay, what in seven hells is going on here?"Inuyasha bellowed, his figure posed in a dominant stance, legs apart.

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said with a small derisive smile. "You are here. Excellent. This is an opportune moment, indeed."

The wind seemed to have shifted, bringing a tense atmosphere. Miroku and the others slowly shuffled backwards from the scene.

Inuyasha's eye twitched. "I don't know what you're yakking at about—but get this straight, you floppy-eared mutt 'cause I'mma only say this once," and he cracked his knuckles, "Get your filthy, grubby fingers off Kagome!"

Sesshoumaru had his grip tight around Kagome's wrist. She yelped the moment she realized it. She tried to wave her hand off, but he merely casted her an impassive glare.

"Why should I?" Sesshoumaru asked, and Inuyasha sputtered because it was a stupid question, but somehow a _valid_ one coming from him.

Kagome rolled her eyes. _Inuyasha's gonna do that turf talk again_ , she told herself.

"Don't ask me why! I'm the alpha of this pack, and as long as I'm here, no man, dog or wolf comes into my camp and talk to her!"

Sesshoumaru released her. Kagome gasped in relief and ran to her backpack to fetch her plaster, but not before throwing an incredulous look at the _daiyoukai_.

He stood up to face his half-brother, and the air was wrought with tension from both sides.

"Oh, so this is your camp. Strange that I do not see that it's been marked by you."

Inuyasha growled. "Don't make me."

"I _dare_ you, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said, his voice rising, his eyes alight with a strange kind of excitement. His smile returned. "As long as it does not reek of your stench, everything you claim to be yours…is liable to be mine."

Inuyasha bit back a curse. "You bugger."

And with that, he proceeded to remove his pants.

"Omigod, is he going to do what I think he is?" Shippo recoiled in horror at the back.

"No way! I can't watch this!" Sango cried, shielding her eyes.

"Get a hold of yourself, Inuyasha!" the priest said. "There are better ways to solve this!"

Kagome looked on in confusion as Inuyasha started to run around their camp, his pants hanging around his knees as the others shouted at him to come to his senses.

It took her a while to realize what he was doing.

"Kagome-chan! Get away!" Sango called after her. "Or Inuyasha's going to mark and piss on you too!"

"Kagomeeeeee!" came Inuyasha's wail, approaching her.

"Inuyasha _OSUWARIOSUWARIOSUWARI!_ "

Sesshoumaru smirked to himself. The _hanyou_ was buried at least three feet in the ground, pants down, butt exposed. His amusement died however the _miko_ marched straight up to him.

"Sesshoumaru, you're horrible!" Kagome exclaimed angrily, her fists flailing around. "I can't believe you made Inuyasha piss himself like an actual dog! That was the single most disgusting thing I've ever seen in my whole life!"

He merely looked at her quietly in reply, until she calmed down albeit extremely confused.

"The smell of your blood. It has disappeared."

"Oh," she said, looking at her plaster-wrapped finger.

Sesshoumaru sighed and turned away, sweeping his hair off his pelt. "You do not look like you need rescuing now. This has been a very disappointing day."

"What the hell did you expect?!"

Kagome dashed forward to block his path. Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow in question and she frowned back at him, almost ready for another outburst.

"Get this in your head, Sesshoumaru. We will _never_ be even, because I almost _died_ for you at that time."

He shrugged. "I never asked you to."

"Precisely. I did it on my own accord. That is the difference between us. And that is something we both know you will never do."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her. He had heard enough. He continued to walk forward, purposely brushing against her shoulder hard.

"You talk too much. Until next time then," and he casually sent her an almost teasing gaze over his shoulder, "…little miss damsel."

"There is no next time!"

* * *

 _"_ Now that it's raining more than ever, know that we'll still have each other…" Kagome sang on top of her lungs as her group trekked along the mountains.

Inuyasha clicked his tongue in annoyance beside her. "You can stay under my umbrella, ella, ella..."

Kagome shot him a look of disbelief.

"What?" he went. "You think I don't have that song stuck in my head 'cause you keep singing it every day? That's how awful you sound when you sing."

He expected her to hit him on the head, but instead Kagome broke into peals of laughter.

"Oh Inuyasha," she said, tugging on his perky dog ears. "You're so funny sometimes."

"Hey, stop that!"

On the brow of a steep cliff, up above, Sesshoumaru stood at its edge, watching the pair with observant eyes.

"Hn. And the next time it shall not be his name you'll be calling for help."

 ** _To be continued!_**

 _[Credits: "Umbrella" as performed by Rihanna, written by Tricky Stewart, JAY-Z & The-Dream]_


	5. Corvidophobia

[A/N: This chapter will be a _lil_ more serious and meaty, only because I felt the previous chapter was extremely light. Aha, well this is a comedy after all.]

 **Four: Corvidophobia**

The shoji door slammed open with a jarring thud. Outside Inuyasha laid curled on the wooden floor of the verandah, hard at it with another game of Tetris.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out, arms akimbo. "There you are! And I thought you had sneaked into the pleasure quarters with the priest."

Inuyasha wriggled his body, his back to her, fingers diligently jabbing at the device buttons. "Ah, you're bothersome. How did ya know I was here anyway?"

Kagome sat beside him, smirking. "I just followed the smell of your stinky feet." Of which Inuyasha heaped said feet on her lap, and she pushed him away with a vehement, "Idiot!" Then he fell silent, and she knew he wasn't really interested to talk with her then.

The season had gradually changed into autumn over the weeks. Kagome and her friends had been rewarded with a two-nights' stay at an village inn, after helping the villagers exterminate some pesky demon critters that were damaging their crops. A piece of cake for Inuyasha and the others.

Kagome wasn't complaining though. It had been ages since she last slept with a pillow underneath her head.

"What level are you at now?" she was asking him.

"Forty-seven."

"No freaking way! I couldn't even get past level 8! Wow, you're a real pro, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha snickered, before shifting himself to lie on her lap.

Kagome's heart skipped a beat at his sudden warmth on her legs. She was severely tempted to stroke his soft hair and tug on those irresistible ears, but knew better.

A large crow landed on a stone lantern at the garden before them, its black beak hooked dangerously. Its wings bristled, then it squawked loudly twice, as if to signal its arrival, or maybe a call. Kagome winced in distaste.

"Hey Inuyasha," she spoke after a while. "What do you know about your father's family?"

The _hanyou_ 's right ear twitched. "Enough that I refuse to have anything to do with them," he muttered. And then he added as if like an afterthought, "There was this annoying guy who liked to visit me and my mother, though. I was really little so I didn't know who he was. But he was related to my father, I think."

"You mean like an uncle?"

"Maybe."

 _He doesn't really want to talk about it,_ Kagome thought. _Oh well._

Suddenly there was a loud commotion in the grey skies above, a cacophony of unnatural caws and cries. Kagome gasped as a huge black cloud travelled past the sky, and the hairs at the back of her neck rose when she realized they were a single flock of crows, a frightening mass of them all flying towards a single direction. Their black wings flapped with a continuous slapping sound, and their high-pitched shrieks seemed to bide a grim warning to her, more than anything else.

She shook his shoulder, panic rising. "Inuyasha, what's going on? The crows. The sky is filled with them!"

"They're seasonal ravens," Inuyasha stated calmly, pausing to watch for a while. "They migrate in flocks to the northern islands in autumn." Then he turned to face her, a roguish grin on his face. "Eh? Are you scared?"

Kagome exhaled a long held breath. Her eyes darted back to the dark ominous cloud. She said nothing.

Suddenly a loud thumping dashed from behind towards the verandah. Inuyasha picked his head up from Kagome's lap, throwing a perplexed look at an exasperated Miroku collapsing at the door.

"Inuyasha! Help me! This is a matter of life and death!" the priest wheezed.

"Wash the pots and pans at the back kitchen because you couldn't afford to pay the geishas?" Inuyasha yelled when Miroku had related his problem. "You stupid priest! I'mma rat on you on Sango!"

Miroku shook the hanyou's shoulders violently, before the latter could leave. "Inuyasha, please!" And then his voice lowered into a hushed whisper, his eyes a steely blue. " _If you don't, I will tell Kagome-sama what you did last summer_!"

The both of them departed from the verandah, arms around each other's shoulders, the _hanyou_ scowling. Kagome clicked her tongue in annoyance.

Sango and Shippo were out on a stroll at the village square, and had left very early in the morning while she was still sleeping. Which meant she had some quality time to herself now, and the first thing she did was to retrieve her bicycle she had chained near the horse posts outside the inn.

She really wanted to see the maple trees outside. Autumn was her favourite season after all; she loved the bracing air coursing in her lungs, and the cool, mellow atmosphere the orange-brown landscape lent.

As she raced towards the edge of the village, aided by stares from curious onlookers, the black cloud seemed to swarm and revolve up above her. Her arms stiffened as she pushed against the pedal harder, trying to ignore their mocking cries.

The skies started to drizzle, and the air turned chilly. At last she entered a forest pathway, lined with maple trees on either side, the ground a blanket of fallen leaves. A straight never-ending corridor, picturesque, beckoned ahead.

And that was when the ravens started to dive for her.

They came in twos and threes, and then fours and fives, rocketing down from the sky, screeching, squawking. Kagome screamed as she ducked her head, their large black wings fluttering in her face. Their sharp claws scratched her hands and her clothes, their deadly beaks picking at her head.

Her bicycle fell off and Kagome plummeted to the ground, overwhelmed, her arms flailing aimlessly as she tried to protect herself from their strikes. She swore her skin was peeling off—they hurt so much. She was gasping for air now, terror-stricken, mind numb. It felt like the worst nightmare. The very thing she was scared off: crows. And they were coming in droves to attack her.

 _I'm going to die!_ her thoughts raced single-mindedly as she screamed, _I'm going to die. The crows are going to kill me!_

"Say it," appeared a voice. It was deep and calm, reaching into her ears among the horrifying shrieks of the ravens. Sedated and emotionless. _Familiar_.

She saw his black shoes against the bright leaves, his billowing white _hakama_. Her heart jolted with both despair and relief at the same time.

"Say it. Say this Sesshoumaru's name."

Kagome cried out as a pair of black beady eyes darted towards her face, and a cruel beak pecked her cheek.

"Beg for me to save you. Plead with your life," he said. "I want to see you on your knees, grovelling for help."

"NOOOO!" Kagome yelled in anguish. A lash of air sliced above her head, and the ravens screamed unanimously. A few of them began to hit the ground, bloody and motionless.

Kagome stiffened and looked up. She was crying now.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted.

"Inuyasha," she called back, and suddenly she didn't care about the birds anymore. She ran straight into his arms.

He set her aside. "Hold on!" Inuyasha lunged forward to hack the remaining flock of ravens hovering in the near air. A litter of dead birds hit the ground shortly after, some of their bodies twitching in the throes of death. Inuyasha flung angrily at her.

"What the hell are you doing out here, so far from the village?"

Kagome shook her head, still sobbing. She couldn't speak. And then the _hanyou_ turned to the white figure poised among the trees. He growled at his half-brother.

"Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said, the corner of his lips slightly lifted. He realized he had been smiling a lot recently; after all there were many things to be pleased about—Bakusaiga, the return of his left arm. "You just interrupted what could have been a momentous occasion between me and the _miko_."

Inuyasha spat. "You seem to be around the corner a lot nowadays, Sesshoumaru. In fact you seem to be there whenever Kagome's in trouble." He wiped his mouth. "You asshole. You didn't make the birds attack her, didn't you?"

Sesshoumaru allowed a hint of surprise to form on his face. He seemed amused by Inuyasha's suggestion. "What? That?" he said, pointing up towards the sky. "I would not go through the hassle to orchestrate just that for the lass."

His cold eyes trained to the quivering girl beside Inuyasha. "Ravens are known to maintain grudges on anyone who has ever faulted them. Did your dear _miko_ ever do something to incur their wrath?"

Inuyasha growled again, more threateningly this time. Sesshoumaru's tone was suspicious, and so was the way he leered at Kagome. He knew something was going on, but what exactly? There was no reason for Sesshoumaru to be interested in her anymore, not when he was no longer pursuing Tessaiga. Maybe… Maybe the slimy dog had another agenda up his sleeve?

As though reading his conflicted thoughts, Sesshoumaru immediately stepped forward and circled around the pair in a calculated manner.

"Enough of this game. I am not in the mood to play anymore," Sesshoumaru said. "Inuyasha, what is said here, will end here. From now onwards, the safety of the _miko_ shall belong to me. This Sesshoumaru will hereby be responsible for her life."

" _What_?"

"I will only say this once," Sesshoumaru replied lazily, looking at his finger-claws. "There is no need for you to protect her anymore, not when I am here."

Inuyasha sneered. "Hey Sesshoumaru, maybe you need to go check your brains out. There's no way you'll want to protect Kagome…" he hurled Tesseiga out, the fang roaring as it transformed, "not unless you've gone nuts!"

Inuyasha aimed towards Sesshoumaru's neck. The _daiyoukai_ dodged deftly, as he chuckled to himself. Of course he had not expected this to be easy. He pulled out his own sword, striking it against his father's blade with a loud clang.

"Nobody gets to take what's mine!" Inuyasha snarled. He dived a punch into Sesshoumaru's face.

 _Eh?_ Kagome thought. _Did he say_ _"what's…mine?" What does that mean? That Inuyasha thinks I'm his? Oh—how embarra…_

"Inuyasha! _OSUWARIIIIIIIII!_ " Kagome screamed, red in the face. " _Osuwariosuwariosuwariosuwari _—__ "

It was the mother of all sits. The _hanyou_ plunged headfirst into the ground, and by the third time, he was already rendered unconscious. Sesshoumaru heaved Bakusaiga for one fatal blow, but Kagome quickly ran to intercept him, blocking him away from Inuyasha. A gasp of surprise escaped from him as he shuffled a step backwards.

"Hit me if you dare!" Kagome shouted.

"Lass," he started.

"I have a name! Ka-go-me!"

"As long as you hold insignificant to me, your existence will not have a name."

"I don't care! I will never let you be responsible for my own safety! The one I need rescuing from is you!"

"You foolish, worthless imbecile. You will regret the words you imparted to this Sesshoumaru."

"Yes I am foolish, and I am worthless! So why do even bother with me?" Kagome said. "Or maybe you just couldn't accept that it was this imbecile of a human lass who saved you one time!"

Sesshoumaru's face contorted in anger. His fangs clenched as he swung his hand to hit her.

"I dare you!" she cried, her eyes flashing with determination.

Sesshoumaru stilled. Why? Why was the _miko_ so fearless? Was she so ready to face death, even when it was right before her? She knew who he was—she had witnesssed enough of his invincible power to know what exactly he was capable of. And yet she had dared to challenge him…

Because she knew, that he could not hurt her. She knew his real weakness—his pride.

Sesshoumaru's hand lowered. He gripped his fist, then his fingers sought slowly towards her head. Kagome stiffened as his hand loomed towards her face and she braced herself for the worst.

And then it almost felt surreal—as Sesshoumaru gently touched her. With all the restraining power that he had, his jaw taut, his chest in mid-breath, he patted her head.

Behind her, Inuyasha stirred from a bed-cover of dried leaves.

He poked his head out, rubbing his eyes groggily as his vision slowly focussed on the image of Sesshoumaru striding off into the pathway of maple trees.

He saw as Kagome ran after the _daiyoukai_ , but stopped short half-way.

"Hey!" she was yelling as she rubbed her head. "What? What in the world was that?!'

"An act of mercy. May the gods treat you as kind as this Sesshoumaru did," Sesshoumaru said, looking over his shoulder. "Ka-go-me. My Little Miss Damsel."

"I'm not your—ugh!" Kagome hopped in anger, throwing a measly rock towards his direction.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted at last. "We need to talk! You and I!"

"I don't wanna!" And then she huffed and stomped towards her bicycle, picking it up from the ground. She glared at him. "You still wanna roll around in that pile of leaves?"

Inuyasha cowered from her stare.

* * *

The _shoji_ door to the verandah slid open smoothly. Inuyasha was sitting over at the edge, his back hunched, staring into the garden.

"Ah, _here_ you are," Sango said. "I have no idea where Kagome or the priest is. Funny that you're still in place." The _hanyou_ said nothing, so she slid to sit beside him. She offered him a candy. "Got this from the village square. Apparently you can only get this in autumn. At least that's what the merchant said."

"Sango," Inuyasha said, his eyes dazed. "I think…"

"What?" Sango said, popping the sweet into her mouth.

"I think Kagome is having an affair… with Sesshoumaru."

The candy dropped from Sango's lips. " _WHAT?!_ "

 ** _To be continued…_**


	6. A Hullabaloo of Complications

Disclaimer: 'One Call Away' song lyrics as written by Matt Prime, Breyan Stanley Isaac, Charlie Puth, Blake Anthony Carter, Justin Franks, Maureen Anne Mcdonald

 _I'm only one call away_ _  
_ _I'll be there to save the day_ _  
_ _Superman got nothing on me_ _  
_ _I'm only one call away  
_ - **One Call Away** , Charlie Puth

 **A Hullabaloo of Complications**

Miroku squatted near the _shoji_ door of the verandah, his eye poking through the small hole he had perforated through the translucent paper. Inuyasha and Sango were talking in hushed, albeit excited tones to each other, their faces shiny with the impatience of the scheming. Or at least that's what it appeared to the priest.

He clutched his _kazana_ -cursed hand. _I knew it!_ he mentally anguished, _I can hear the words "scandalous" and "outrageous"! They're plotting something against me! But what?_

Miroku was extremely sure that Inuyasha had snitched on him, and informed Sango of his "adventures" at the pleasure quarters, which later ended up with him at the back kitchen of the inn because he was several ryō short. The _hanyou_ had been cruelly unforgiving when Miroku requested him for assistance, and he ran out suddenly in the middle of washing a big pot, leaving Miroku to shoulder his dues alone.

His deep sigh dribbled out weakly. _Inuyasha, I trusted you. We were supposed to be brothers._

Dinner was a quiet sombre affair, save for the scarfing sounds from Shippo as he helped himself to the sumptuous offerings. It was the best dinner they had in ages, a real actual proper one, with beef _yakitori_ and _miso_ soup and sweet desserts to top everything off. Darn it, there was even crab.

He peered around his friends, whose minds all seemed to be elsewhere, poking chopsticks glumly into their bowls. Even Kagome didn't seem to be in a good mood, her mouth in a pout as she chewed her food slowly, but then again, the _miko_ always had something to be ruffled about.

"What's wrong, guys? Why are y'all so gloomy?" he asked.

"I'm done," Inuyasha mumbled, his bowl clattering as he immediately got up to leave. Sango watched him emphathetically, then looked at Kagome. Miroku eyed the _taijiya_ cautiously as he bit into a prawn _tempura._

It was a stuffy, humid night. Sango had trouble drifting into sleep. Not when the mosquitos had managed to infiltrate into the room and buzz past her ears. She tossed and turned on the futon for the umpteenth time, and slapped her arm when she felt a mosquito.

"You drive me crazy…." Kagome said aloud in her sleep beside her.

Sango stiffened and sat up, looking at her friend. Kagome was fast asleep, hugging her pillow possessively, her breaths in a steady harmony.

"…Sesshoumaru."

Sango's hand flew to her mouth as she gasped. No! Was it true after all what Inuyasha said—an affair!—but it was preposterous! But here Kagome was, dreaming of that _youkai_ …that Sesshoumaru!

"I told you, I don't wanna…" Kagome mumbled further. A small whimper escaped. "Don't force me, you big meanie…"

 _What—what exactly is she dreaming?!_ Sango shut her eyes and cupped her ears. The realization of the truth was too much for her to bear. She slapped her neck as another mosquito bit her neck. At last she found herself leaving the room, trying to catch a fresh breath of air.

Miroku who was on guard duty outside, caught her figure as she ran towards the water well at the back of the inn. She was frantically washing her ears in a strange manner. He stealthily followed her from behind as she headed for the garden. Why was she going out in the dead of the night? The skies were darker than usual, the moon a mere slice behind the sullen clouds.

Sango breathed in surprise at Inuyasha's figure at the small bridge over the garden pond, and the long hair that tumbled down his back was dark. He was human, for the night.

Quickly she ran to him.

"Inuyasha!" she whispered urgently when she caught up to him on the bridge, heaving his shoulders in panic. "I'm starting to believe your words! At first I refused to think you were sane—" And then she related to him everything that had happened, how Kagome had mentioned Sesshoumaru's name, and spoke strange, highly questionable words in her sleep.

Inuyasha's lip quivered and he covered his face with his hands. His hormones became unstable every time he was human, and now his human emotions were threatening to overcome him, knowing that Kagome had betrayed him. Was this what they meant by karma? But still, he didn't deserve this!

He started to wail.

"I knew it! I should have known when Kagome was being extra nice to that mangy Kouga wolf. She only goes for big youkai di—"

"I can't hear a single word they're saying!" Miroku whispered to himself as he hid behind a large zelkova tree. "But I know they're talking about me!" He gritted his teeth. "Sneaking out during the night to scheme against me. Inuyasha, you leave me with no choice. I will reveal everything to Kagome-sama, over what you did last summer!"

"Miroku, what are you doing in the garden?"

The priest froze when he heard the voice behind him. He clamped his mouth as he turned around. It was the _kitsun_ e, rubbing his eyes groggily.

"Just making my rounds," Miroku answered, then cleared his throat softly. Shippo stared at him, perplexed as he strode off hurriedly.

"Eh, what's that sound?" Sango called out at the bridge, looking around. Inuyasha yelped beside her.

Shippo peeked around the tree. He gasped aloud.

To this day he would never forget the sight that he beheld that night: Inuyasha and Sango locked tight in a special embrace. Sango's soft, bounty bosom pressed snugly against Inuyasha's strong arms, his face red and impassioned.

Shippo hid himself and slumped down the tree. Then he shivered, realizing the gravity of the scene he had witnessed. He bolted off, running towards the water well.

 _My eyes!_ he screamed internally as he doused them with cold water, _I will never unsee this, not in a hundred years!_

Sango elbowed Inuyasha off, cutting him off with a glare. "What's with you, scaredy-cat?"

"I swear I heard something too!" he said.

Breakfast the next day was an even gloomier affair, worse than last night's dinner. There was a depressing tension on the air hanging on everyone's heads. Kagome chewed on her red bean-paste bun, studying everyone with bright, innocent eyes.

"Did everyone not have a good night's sleep yesterday?" she asked.

Inuyasha jabbed Sango's arm discreetly. Instantly both Miroku and Shippo's heads shot up.

Sango gave an uneasy laugh. "There was a swarm of mosquitos last night. I couldn't get a wink. Um, how about you, Kagome-chan? Did you sleep well last night?"

"I slept like a log yesterday!" Kagome chirped, beaming. "Best sleep in ages!"

Inuyasha gripped his lap. _Of course you did!_

"Good priest, how about you?" Sango turned to Miroku. "Had a good night's sleep?"

His pair of chopstick shook in his hand. She was testing him. She wanted to know if he felt guilty of his transgressions. It was all part of their plan, to make him feel like a miserable and wretched criminal!

Miroku chuckled and managed a well-worn smile. "How could I," he said, "when you didn't?"

Shippo's eyes shimmered at Miroku. The poor priest. If only he knew what really was going on…

* * *

The village was holding an autumn festival in two days, to celebrate the season's harvest. Inuyasha's group had volunteered to help set up the banners and lanterns together with the villagers, but Kagome had to return home that day.

"You're always telling me this kinda things last-minute!" he yelled at her atop a ladder.

"Idiot! I told you this two weeks ago! I have a freaking test on Monday!"

"Why don't you go home yourself, huh? Or better yet, ask that Sesshoumaru to send ya off!"

Kagome stomped her feet. Then she pulled the ladder, and Inuyasha crashed butt-first to the ground.

"You dirty bit—"

"Guys, please don't fight," Sango pleaded. "Kagome-chan, Kirara and I will send you off." She guided Kagome by her shoulders, away from the expletive-spewing _hanyou_.

The clouds skimmed past them, two young women on youkai-back, tagged by a little _kitsune_ who had decided to join as well. The high altitude meant a lower temperature, and Kagome was grateful for the cashmere sweater she was wearing, knitted by her mother with a K embroided on the front. She lowered herself and pressed her chest against Kirara's warm and furry back.

"I don't understand what's going on in his head," she ranted for the half-past hour. "He's been extra fidgety since he rescued me from a flock of crows yesterday. Maybe they ate part of his brain. What do you think, guys?"

Sango and Shippo sighed. They didn't want to tell Kagome what was on their minds.

"Bye guys," Kagome bade them farewell, as she hung a leg over the ledge of the Bone-eaters' Well, and they waved at her back. Kagome leapt towards the dark mouth waiting for her.

She waited for the familiar darkness to consume her, transport her through the black hole of time…but instead her body jerked in mid-motion, her legs barely grazing the bottom of the well.

Kagome looked up. She saw Sesshoumaru's face from the corner, staring at her. She was hanging from the death-grip he had locked on her arm.

"The times may be harsh and sometimes it may appear as though everything is devoid of hope. But I believe there is a silver lining to every cloud."

She squinted her eyes at the _daiyoukai_. She couldn't even be surprised anymore.

"I shouldn't even want to ask this but what exactly are you trying to do?" she asked.

" _Save_ you, of course," he answered matter-of-factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"From _what_?"

"Your attempted suicide."

Outside Sango and Shippo watched on, a thousand thoughts whirling in their heads.

Shippo scratched his chin as he wondered. _Sesshoumaru has been acting odd ever since he rescued me from that old hag. That's it! Kagome saved his life and he is trying to pay her back. An eye for an eye after all! That's what he said back at the hot spring!_

Sango however was assessing the scene differently.

 _Sesshoumaru is holding her hand. He doesn't want to see her go_ , her thoughts processed. _Even Inuyasha is not as dramatic as this. I never thought I would witness their love first-hand..._ _Kagome-chan, I thought we were close. And yet you never told me..._ Her eyes moistened with fresh tears. _But it's alright. If you're happy, I'm happy._

Sango smiled to herself as she wiped a lone tear. She looked at the frowning kit. "Shippo, maybe we should go now. Let's not disrupt a lover's serenade."

Shippo raised a brow. "Eh, lover?" Did she mean... Shippo's mind was directed to only one thought. _Sango must be impatient to return to Inuyasha._

"Let me gooooo!" Kagome was screaming. At last she managed to pry herself from his grip, and she fell downwards, the time-warp swallowing both her and her screams.

Sesshoumaru stiffened at the lost weight on his arm. He looked down. The girl…had disappeared.

Without another thought he jumped into the well. The soles of his shoes crunched against dirt and bone-dust. He whirled around in confusion. Then he knelt towards the ground, digging through the filth.

"Lass, lass!" he called, but the echoes of his voice bounced back to him. His hands moved urgently. " _Ka-go-me!_ "

A couple of villagers were walking towards the Bone-Eater's well, carrying a stinking tub of demon innards formerly a cockroach _youkai_ that old Kaede had decimated. "Hey-ho!" they shouted, as they threw the contents of the tub into the well as per standard procedures, to dispose and purify.

"She died," Sesshoumaru spoke to himself. "She died and I was unable to save her."

He leaned his back against the stone, looking up as cockroach guts rained onto him from the sky. A broken piece of leg pelted on his cheek.

"In the end, this Sesshoumaru was unable to uphold the end of his deal. A hanging life-debt, this is. My reputation and honour will never be restored."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and sighed. The feeling of sheer devastation had numbed him, and he sat at the bottom of the well for a long time, covered in a filthy mess.

 _ **To be continued!**_

 **[A/N: Oh my...this chapter is so full of misunderstandings and complications, isn't it! And it ends with Sesshoumaru looking pathetic as heck… Please don't be disappointed, Lord Sesshoumaru! Good things await the patient! *says the sadistic author*]**


	7. Sesshoumaru and the Giant Lemon

[A/N: Another goofy, silly chapter! The timeline of this fic is messed up--if Sesshoumaru already owns Bakusaiga, then this would be somewhere in the final arc where they're facing Magatsuhi and whatnot, and it wouldn't be autumn, but let's ignore that! XD]

 **Sesshoumaru and the Giant Lemon**

Once again Kagome was back in Sengoku-Jidai, although a day earlier than planned.

It was Sports Day, deemed as a national holiday back in 21st-century Tokyo. With no school to impede her time-travelling adventures, that Friday morning saw Kagome contemplating hard on the floor. Should she just bring her fruity-scented perfume _or_ the standard ol' regular deodorant spray?

At last, remembering Inuyasha's sensitive (read: fussy) sense of smell, she chucked her deodorant into her suffocating backpack, and headed to the old well outside her house. A twist in time, and a jog through space, and within minutes Kagome found herself in the magical, dangerous world of the Feudal Era, where bloodthirsty demons and wicked warlords teemed alike.

"Haaaaaa, it's a wonderful morning today, if I don't say so myself." She stretched herself, marching her way to Inuyasha's village, passing through a fruit orchard where it smelled of peaches and oranges. She was early on her schedule, and her friends were not here to fetch her.

A cheeky grin came to her. Kagome was alone. Alone meant free, and free meant…

She took off her shoes, then her socks. With the grass tickling beneath her feet and the gentle morning sun warm on her face, she started to whirl and prance about.

 _Somewhere nearby…_

"I think you're right, Jaken-sama," Rin whispered beside the old _kappa_ , who was crouched drawing caricatures on the sand with his Human-Head Cane. "I think the aliens really got him and played around with his switches!"

Jaken hushed her with a hard nudge of his elbow. "Shhhh, don't let him hear you! But it's true isn't it, what I said? He's been nothing but listless ever since he returned—talking to himself and knocking into trees, how pathetic! It's either the aliens or he's high on mushrooms, and I'm betting on the first one."

Rin and Jaken stole a peek at their lord stealthily over their shoulders. Sesshoumaru was flat on the grass, squinting heavily at the sun as his lips moved in a murmur.

"I opened the path to Hades, and yet I could not find her soul. So the question remains: Did she die, or did she not?"

"It's the aliens," Jaken told Rin. "They're transmitting some kind of message to him from the sun."

Suddenly Sesshoumaru shot up straight and his two wards yelped out with surprise.

"There," their lord said, pointing up a finger. "Do you hear that?"

"And what is it that you hear, O Supreme One?" Jaken quaked in his knees, crying. "Are they coming to subjugate every one of us in this world as I highly feared?"

"Music. This Sesshoumaru hears music," Sesshoumaru answered, and he gathered on his heels and sauntered off into the forest.

"It's too late, he's leaving us!" Jaken cried.

"Nooooo, Sesshoumaru-sama! Please don't go!" Rin implored. "You still haven't taught me how you did that coin trick!"

 _Back to the fruit orchard where Kagome is reliving a Flashdance scene…_

"Well, Aiiiii hear the music, close my eyes, feel the rhythm," Kagome sang, as she hopped over fallen logs, leapt over sharp rocks and spun around in circles, like a ballerina. "Wrap arooound, take a hooold of my heaaart…"

Behind a chestnut tree, Sesshoumaru hid himself as he watched the peculiar _miko_. His chest was shuddering—" _she's aliveeee!"_ his beast screamed—and he slapped himself to maintain his composure.

Like a shinobi ninja, lightning-quick on his feet, he flitted from tree to tree, tailing the dancing priestess closely…

"What a feeeeling!" Kagome sung shrilly at the chorus as she ran forward, arms open, as the cool wind coursed through her hair. "Bein's belieeevin'! I can have it all, now I'm dancing foooor my life!"

And then she tripped over a buttress root, "Kyaaa!" she cried, and Sesshoumaru immediately sprang out from the bushes in reflex, all ready to play his role of a knight in shining armour.

Except she was laughing when he finally made his appearance.

"Ah," Kagome said. "If it isn't you, hoping to catch the moment I slip." And then she pretended to wobble over the tree root again, of which Sesshoumaru tensed, and she doubled over, gasping with laughter. "Ooops! Did you fell for that, really?"

Sesshoumaru frowned as he strode towards her. Kagome tried to stifle her laugh as he cornered her against the tree. _Crap, I forgot he doesn't have a sense of humour._

Her smile disappeared however when his face neared hers, his nose twitching as he took in her scent. She shut her eyes, she could feel his breath— _this is too close, waaay too close!_ —and then suddenly Sesshoumaru pulled her cheeks.

"Tell me, this is not an apparition I am seeing, no?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

A few minutes later, Kagome was wheezing with laughter again as she walked further into the orchard. "H-hold on. You thought I died and disappeared into the well? No no no, that was just the portal back home."

"Home?"

Kagome wiped a teary eye. "Yeah, it's a long story, not that you're interested in." When she glanced back, she realized Sesshoumaru had stopped quite a distance behind, as he shielded his nose with a kimono-clad arm.

She looked around them. They were surrounded by mandarin trees. Slowly she picked a mandarin orange near her feet and tossed it towards his direction. Immediately he leapt backwards.

"You don't like oranges?"

"Cease your laughter," Sesshoumaru said angrily. "The scent of citrus is distressing. I see no humour in this."

 _Hmm, how interestiiiing._

She continued towards her path towards Inuyasha's village, all the while noting how he was still pursuing her, albeit from a careful distance. She sighed. When would he ever give up?

"You know, Sesshoumaru. You did save me once, you know. Remember that crazy Shinchinintai gang? That was such a troublesome arc. When Mukotsu poisoned me, if you had not burst in to kill him…"

"You are mistaken. At that time, I did not come for you."

She shrugged then set her heavy bag under a tree. Her back was sweating. She sat down, picked an orange and started to peel it.

"Well I wonder, then," she said, between chews. "What it's like to be _really_ rescued by the powerful, almighty Lord Sesshoumaru? Must be a great honour, isn't it?"

Sesshoumaru smirked and brushed back his hair. _Wouldn't you like to know, lass?_

Suddenly the ground started to shake. Their birds flew from the trees, scattering. Kagome panicked, staying still on the ground as a booming voice suddenly filled through the sky.

" _Fee fi fo fum. I smell the blood of a Japanese mutt."_

She peeked her head to the side. Her jaw dropped. There was a giant lemon at the end of the path, and it had a large face on its flat, yellow porous skin. As of the moment it didn't look very pleased.

"How dare you trespass my orchard without permission!" the giant lemon bellowed towards Sesshoumaru, who looked every bit as incredulous as the _miko_.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The lemon huffed. If lemons could huff.

"My name is Mama Lemon and I am the guardian of this orchard." Suddenly Mama Lemon gasped, as its line of sight trained to the scraps of orange peelings on the ground. Its eyes started to water. "My babies. You ate my babies!"

The forest began to rumble as the giant lemon rolled towards Sesshoumaru at a ferocious speed. "I will send you to canine hell!"

Sesshoumaru's face twitched, visibly irritated. Kagome wasn't worried, however. _This is piece of cake for you! Slice it with your sword!_ Instead she watched with horror as the _daiyoukai_ fell to his knees, covering his mouth as he started coughing.

Kagome closed her eyes and screamed as the giant lemon flattened him onto the ground. Then it reversed and rolled over him again and again, grinding him for good measure.

Mama Lemon whirled away, crying over the fate of her offspring. Kagome ran over to Sesshoumaru. However she saw that the lemon was backing away only to gear itself up for another roll. She shook Sesshoumaru violently on the shoulders. "Get up, get up, get up! You're gonna be dog squash!"

"For my babies!" Mama Lemon roared, as she raged towards them. Sesshoumaru struggled to sit up, his body still racked with coughs as the incoming giant lemon screamed for him.

Kagome smacked her forehead, her perception of the great Lord Sesshoumaru completely altered. And she thought _she_ was the so-called damsel in distress! She looked towards her bag. She didn't have her bow and arrows with her. Great! What now?

Growling to herself, she ransacked her backpack. Aha! She ran towards its path and aimed her deodorant spray and lighter towards the giant lemon, just in time as it was mere centimetres towards her and Sesshoumaru…

A large blaze of fire erupted towards its face. Mama Lemon screamed in anguish as its face blackened and sizzled. It howled in defeat as it rolled backwards, disappearing from the tracks. Kagome waited. It did not come back.

Kagome sighed at Sesshoumaru's side. "That was close! Any second there you would have been juice."

Sesshoumaru frowned and looked at her, slowly removing his hand. "What did you do?"

"Oh? It's a neat little trick, my deodorant and lighter!" And she proceeded to offer a demonstration towards his face, as she clicked the lighter and pressed on her deodorant's nozzle as the same time. " _I'm so sorryyyyy!"_ She howled as his hair caught fire, instantly pulling out a fire extinguisher from her bag to spray on his head.

"Just be gone, you stupid lass!" Sesshoumaru kicked her away in exasperation.

Kagome knelt before him and clapped her hands together in apology. "I'm really sorry! It's my fault the giant lemon attacked you. Hey, you're not angry, are you?"

She looked up. Sesshoumaru had strode off, leaving her without another word. Kagome pouted to herself. _He's really angry. Oh well, I guess it is my fault, in a way._

"Unbelievable," Sesshomaru grumbled to himself, regretting over today's turn of events. He, defeated by a mere lemon? What a joke of the century. He could not even face the _miko_ now if he wanted to. "It is 2-0 on the scoreboard now."

 _Awhile later…_

"Sesshoumaru attacked by a giant lemon?" Old Kaede said. "Well I never."

"It's true!" Kagome said beside the old woman, as she helped to grind the herbs on the grinding slab. "But no one would ever believe my story, would they?"

Kaede harrumped. "Nevertheless you shouldn't play with fire, Kagome. And I don't mean that trick you performed."

Kagome giggled as she remembered the cold, stony façade of Lord Sesshoumaru, and how she had seen a side of him no one knew. "Nope," she said. "I'm playing with ice."

"Then you don't want to freeze to death." Kaede looked on at the windows as the curtains fluttered in the weak wind. Autumn was going to end soon, and they would need to stock up for food.

"Winter is approaching. Be careful now, Kagome."

 ** _To be continued!_**

A/N: Credits: 'What a Feeling' as performed by Irene Cara, written by Irene Cara, Giorgio Moroder, Keith Forsey]


	8. I Know What You Did Last Summer

**I Know What You Did Last Summer**

A day after the Mama Lemon incident, and approximately a fortnight before the first fall of snow, Sesshoumaru paid a little visit to Totosai's humble abode.

The old blacksmith whistled when the _daiyoukai_ had made a startling appearance at the entrance, looking in the most sorriest of states.

"Ye again?" Totosai said as he gestured him inside with a swing of his hammer. "Didn't ye come by one moon ago? I haven't seen your armour this pitiful since 1339. That was a glorious era, wasn't it, a glorious era it was. Now Sesshoumaru, ye _must_ tell me what's going on."

 _I'm embroiled in a preposterous quagmire of a life debt I'm obligated by honour to resolve, that's what's going on_.

Sesshoumaru sighed heavily as he began to strip himself of the offending clunk of metal, hanging precariously on his shoulders, along with his gaping chest plate.

"The first one was Okuni-baba, the ogre-witch. The second…was a giant lemon."

Totosai started coughing, then craned his neck back. "Eh? Ye need to stop mumbling to yourself, Sesshoumaru. For a while there my ears misheard "giant lemon"."

"Likewise."

"But Okuni-baba, eh?" Totosai wondered aloud, brushing through his long beard. "Okuni… Okuni… Ah. Is she still making potions in that old brickhouse of hers?"

"I decimated it to the ground. Now she can retire in peace."

"That brickhouse was there when I was a mere sapling, old as time it was, old as time. I reckon she is still up and alive?"

Sesshoumaru seated himself near Totosai by the hearth. "She managed to escape."

Totosai nodded in understanding. "She's a slick little one, that Okuni, always has been. But she was a banging beauty, was she not? I'd do her. A bit pity her voice carried that uncanny pitch…"

"Totosai, I need to get my armour fixed," Sesshoumaru reminded coldly.

"Yes, yes, I know. But let's have a drink first, shall we? The first time ye came here, ye had rudely refused to accept my invitation." Totosai then shouted to the back of his house. "Yoru! We have a guest here. Please make some tea!"

"Right, Totosai-sama!" came a young voice from the back. "I'll go fetch some water right after I'm done feeding the chickens!"

"No, Yoru! Drop the corn and go draw the water now!"

"But the chickens—"

"Yoru! The Lord of the Western Lands does not like to be kept in waiting!"

Sesshoumaru frowned quietly at the tattered tatami mat flooring near his feet. He scratched it with a sharp finger-claw, as Totosai cooled himself with a straw fan, muttering something inane to himself.

Sesshoumaru had not come with the sole purpose of repairing his broken armour (courtesy of the great Mama Lemon). He had also sought to breach a difficult subject. It was not a matter of high importance, but it had been bothering him for some time now, like a stinging nettle stuck to his skin. He took a deep breath and removed his finger.

"Totosai, Okuni mentioned something peculiar about my ancestors. Is it true that my father's father—"

"Yoru, hasten, little boy, the Lord is thirsty!"

"—and the ones before him kept human concubines—"

"Totosai-sama, the chickens won't let me get away! They're pecking at my feet!"

"—and that this tradition served as a symbol of good luck—"

"Why don't ye just dump the feed on the ground, boy? Yer spoiling the chickens by hand-feeding them, that's what yer doing!"

"—after all, I was under the assumption that this human-keeping trait was only present in my father, and it was not actually a recurring practice along the generations—"

"I'm out of feed but they're still hungry!"

"So is the Lord, boy, so is the Lord! Now if ye don't come running here in 3 seconds with water, I'll lock ye up with the chickens in the coop!"

The boy came dashing to the hearth a few seconds later, water spilling from the buckets down to the floor in an unceremonious fashion. It splashed lightly on Sesshoumaru's pants.

"Ah, please forgive me!"

Sesshoumaru's hand was trembling. Slowly he brought it to massage his temples.

Totoasai stopped fanning himself. "Eh, ye were saying, Sesshoumaru?"

"Never mind."

"Now, now, don't sulk. Yoru, quick bring the water to boil and get the tea pot out. And Sesshoumaru, if ye wish to shed light on that matter, perhaps ye would be better off speaking to General Aokimaru instead. Ye still remember him, don't ye?"

Awhile later the tea flowed smoothly into the cups with a soft fragrance. Sesshoumaru lifted his and frowned at his wavering reflection inside.

"General Aokimaru?"

Totosai nodded agreeably. "Yes. He was the best of comrades on the field, and the best of friends with your father. Inseparable like horseshoe crabs, they were, like horseshoe crabs. I believe they also went fishing together, if ye know what I mean." He slurped on his tea.

"Hn," Sesshoumaru said, sipping on his. "My father had always had questionable hobbies."

"Tell me about it."

* * *

Meanwhile, Inuyasha and his comrades had returned to their adventures, and after a long day of hiking through forested mountains, they finally called for a rest. Perched on dead logs before a crackling bonfire, they swathed themselves in blankets and cupped warm bowls, in the increasing chill of the forest.

"Kagome, you haven't eaten anything since morning! Are you sure ya just gonna settle with _that_?"

"I don't mind, Inuyasha. I'm perfectly fine with my organic low-fat gluten-free granola bars. Gee, I don't even know what gluten means."

"But it looks like rat food!"

Kagome huffed. "Everything is wrong to your eyes, isn't it? It's either I eat too much or I eat too little. Also, you've been seriously annoying these past few days. You're acting like an overbearing aunt!"

"You're missing my point!" Inuyasha scratched through his head, exasperated. "Anyways we've been walking the whole day. Your knees must be aching, right? Here, lemme get Sango to massage them for you! Sangoooo!"

"That's what I mean! Stop doing that!"

"Inuyasha, get me out of this!" Sango chided. Then she turned to the others. "Goodness, I'm dying from second-hand embarrassment just watching that idiot. Someone just separate them _please_."

"Are you sure that's the only reason you want them separated?" Shippo asked testily.

"Anyways, Inuyasha has been acting strange ever since Kagome-sama returned," Miroku said, rubbing his chin. "It's almost as if he's trying really hard to please her. But his exhaustive efforts has only served to backfire him."

Sango giggled. "You mean you don't know?"

Kagome suddenly popped beside them on the log. "Know what?" she said.

The four of them huddled together in a ring.

"Inuyasha's trying to win back your heart!" Sango whispered fiercely. "After all, you're no longer smitten with him but with Sesshoumaru!"

Kagome gasped dramatically. "Where did you get that?! I'm absolutely not having an affair with his brother!"

Shippo twisted his mouth. "What kind of complicated drama are you guys playing? I thought it was already weird enough that Inuyasha is cheating on her with Sango." Then he shot a look at the paling priest. "Oops!"

"S-Sango, is this true?" stammered Miroku. "No, don't answer me. This is how Amitabha wishes to punish me for my crimes. As if this kazaana-cursed hand is not enough."

"Now that's outright blasphemy!" Sango cried. "I would never be interested in that smelly, dirty half-dog!"

"Are you guys bad-mouthing me?!" Inuyasha stormed, pulling the group apart. "I can hear every single word you know!"

Kagome stood up and clasped her hands on Inuyasha's face. Her eyes glistened with tears. Inuyasha wore a petrified smile, not knowing what to expect.

"Inuyasha, is it true that you've been acting extra concerned with me because you really thought I had the hots for Sesshoumaru?"

"W-wha? Isn't that what's happening? The both of you are obviously involved in some suspicious agenda I know nothing of."

She breathed a laugh. "Oh, you're such an idiot. Even though Sesshoumaru is hands down more cooler, stronger, refined and oh-so-gorgeous—not to mention an actual _full-blooded_ demon—it didn't mean my heart strayed for one minute. Besides, I can't settle for someone with a resting bitch face."

Inuyasha held her hands on his face, his eyes too shimmering like pearls. "Kagome, is that true? The part about your heart, I mean."

She nodded. "My day starts and ends with you, Inuyasha. You've become part of who I am now. My name is your name."

"Oh Kagome. Whatever that means."

"Oh Inuyasha."

Miroku knocked his staff heavily against the ground. He coughed. "Forgive me, Kagome-sama but not to your burst your bubble. There _is_ something you must know about Inuyasha." He turned to send a glare at a confused Sango. Then he locked his eyes hard onto the _hanyou_.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. But in light of the fact that you have been scheming with Sango behind my back—"

"What in blazes are you talking about—" Inuyasha and Sango chorused at the same time.

"Kagome-sama!" The priest suddenly announced in a grave, important voice. "The truth is…last summer…"

"…It was Inuyasha who threw up inside your bag!"

The world went dark around Kagome. The lights went off in her head. "Huhhhhh?"

"You big snitch!" Inuyasha growled, yanking at Miroku's robe. "Why the hell did you tell her that?!"

"Because you told Sango I visited the pleasure quarters!"

"I absolutely did not!"

"Good priest!" Sango gasped. "Tell me this is just _lies_ I am hearing!"

Shippo folded his hands and shook his head. "Definitely some weird drama. I don't even know what's the real truth anymore. Hey Kirara, let's go catch some clapping games while they sort themselves out."

"Huhhhhh?" Kagome continued. She blinked, until Miroku's words finally pieced themselves together. The lightbulb activated, and her mind was flooded with light. An uncontrollable rage consumed her. "Inuyashaaaaa! That was _your_ vomit, after all? _You_ were the one who barfed into my bag!?"

Inuyasha spat on the ground. "What did you expect?! That curry you cooked tasted like the depths of hell!"

"Do you have any idea how many runs of washing cycles my bag had to go through?!"

"It's your fault for—"

" _Osuwariiiiii!_ _Osuwari osuwari osuwari!_ I hate you!"

"So much so for "my name is your name"," Shippo mumbled at the corner.

"Priest! I hate you too!" Sango shouted.

"Aye, aye. All's well ends well."

The group fell into a collective sigh. Just then the breeze picked up, and with it brought a peculiar scent. Inuyasha's nose crinkled as he struggled to straighten himself up.

There was a dark shadow of a figure in between the trees. It slowly creeped out before them on nimble steps, revealing a small, white face. Everyone turned in surprise.

"How wonderful. Seems like my search has not been for naught after all," the stranger said, smiling. Inuyasha's dark eyebrows cocked up. It was a woman.

Her voice was strange, like the rumbling of stones.

 _To be continued!_

 **A/N: In which the misunderstandings get resolved and the plot thickens! (what plot?)**


	9. Lady in Silk

**A/N: A plot-driven chapter! Okuni makes a startling reappearance with a…strange sidekick?**

 **Lady in Silk**

"How wonderful. Seems like my search has not been for naught after all."

She removed her straw hat, revealing her full features. A benign smile sat on her pale, angelic face.

 _Okuni!_ Kagome thought instantly.

A second later came the sound of an approaching cartwheel, horse-hooves cobbling against the forested grounds. It stopped behind Okuni, and another white face emerged beside her. A pair of glittering sapphire eyes were lined in black, a hint of _sakura_ pink colouring the edge of its lids.

The new stranger bowed, a long parasol hanging from her arm. Like Okuni, she owned a peculiar voice, deep with a sing-song rhythm. "Greetings, my fellow countrymen. If I may grant an audience. My name is Seiran. The mistress and I came here following the sweet trail of a _hanyou_ 's scent."

Immediately Sango and Miroku pointed straight to a bewildered Inuyasha in the middle. "Hey!" he shouted.

Miroku then immediately bound into action. He held Okuni's hand gently. "Lady, I understand we have only met, but would you do the honour of bearing my—"

"Priest!" the _taijiya_ shouted, swinging her Hiraikotsu at him. Undeterred, he jumped to his next opportunity. "Seiran is it? You seem like a fair flower as well—" Her boomerang returned and whacked him twice. Miroku retreated with two swelling bumps on his head.

"Okuni!" Kagome and Shippo finally shouted, as the element of shock finally wore off. "The Demon Child-Eater! You're still alive!"

Okuni's eyes narrowed at Kagome. "You're that unfashionable priestess. Meddlesome as well, if I remember correctly."

It was impossible, Kagome thought. Didn't she perish? In her mind all this while, Sesshoumaru had effectively removed her before going ahead to rescue the demon younglings.

"Kagome, do you know her?" Inuyasha asked. Of which Kagome was pressed to relate quickly everything that had happened—from how Shippo had been kidnapped as fodder, to the amusing-at-first-but-now-just-plain-annoying rescue game she was embroiled with Sesshoumaru.

"A score of 2-0?" Inuyasha bellowed understandably. "How fantastic. So it all started because you had a run-in with that prick, and you're only telling me this _now_?"

"This wouldn't have happened if you had helped me rescue Shippo!" Kagome defended herself. "How was I to know things would escalate further?"

"Enough," Okuni growled to her. Inuyasha and Kagome backed in surprise as the Demon Child-Eater intercepted her way between them. "You're agitating my merchandise."

 _M-merchandise?_ Kagome thought. Okuni turned to Inuyasha, and with an uncanny strength suddenly grabbed onto his jaw. She grinned at him and he froze—her mouth was full of razor-sharp blades. "Yes," Okuni said again, "this _hanyou_ is now my merchandise."

Inuyasha stilled in confusion. No woman had ever grabbed him like that. And those teeth, damn… She tilted her head, scrutinizing him. "Would you look at that? A baby-face, and yet such _wild_ eyes." Her deadly grin widened. "You give me odd thrills, little puppy. A pity such a face is impractical." Her other hand smoothed down his fire-rat robe, reaching towards his abdomen. "I'm only interested in one thing."

"H-hey, watch where that hand is going!" Kagome went, clearly red in the face. Okuni clicked her tongue with displeasure. "Seiran," she eyed the other woman.

Seiran stepped forward. She raised a graceful arm, and a shot of silk burst out from inside her kimono sleeve. Kagome screamed as she was hurled to the nearest tree, her back crashing against the hard wood. The silk had bound her to the trunk, her limbs locked down. She was paralysed.

"Kagome!" the others yelled.

" _Hiraikotsu!_ " Sango hurled, but Okuni had filched out her weapon just as quick.

" _Tender Breeze!_ " Sango watched in horror as a gust of wind attacked them, and her boomerang was sent whirling into the sky. And then she too, screamed as her body was sent crashing to a tree, strapped with silk.

"Sango!" Miroku dashed towards her, but it was too late, as a lash of cloth coiled around his ankles. Shippo and Kirara were met with the same fate.

"What the hell—" Inuyasha went, watching all of his comrades struggling in their confines. It was the aftermath of a banner festival, the colourful yards of cloth further binding their bodies to the next tree. Some were stuck between the barren branches, flapping weakly in the breeze. From turquoise to burgundy to saffron, their vibrant colours contrasted against the orange and brown autumn landscape.

Inuyasha grabbed the hilt of Tessaiga, feeling the familiar _youki_ load resisting his arm, and he yanked the sword out with his own larger force. The fang snarled, transforming into the omnipotent killing weapon.

Out of nowhere something slithered and locked around his wrists, hard enough to thwart the velocity of his attack.

Inuyasha cursed aloud at the silk binding his hands—they burned his skin—and at last they managed to pull his arms away, prying his hands of Tessaiga. The fang dropped to the ground, hissing as it reverted to its dormant state. Seeing the opportunity, Okuni directed a blow of her steel fan. Inuyasha struggled in vain as he watched Tessaiga, like Hiraikotsu, flinging into the grey sky.

The two ladies laughed, a crackling, high-pitched whine accompanied with a deep, gurgling chuckle. Okuni smiled, as she folded back her fan. She turned back and looked over her shoulder. "Seiran, why don't you take care of this for me? It's just like hunting game. You want to impress your mistress, don't you?"

"Yes," Seiran answered, determination hard-set in her eyes as the other woman seated herself at the cartwheel, waiting, watching. Kagome shuddered as Seiran walked towards Inuyasha. She bit her lip. It was already bad enough with Okuni, and she hadn't even revealed her true power yet. Who was this Seiran? Was she as formidable?

Inuyasha's fists gripped as he collected all the _youki_ he could muster, careful enough not to let it overtake him. Exploding into a roar, Inuyasha tore apart the silk sheets.

" _Iron reaver, soul stealer!"_ His claws slashed at Seiran who leapt backward just in time. Her parasol flew open and started spinning, bringing her afloat.

"For Amaterasu's sake," Inuyasha muttered, as he watched Seiran hover above him. And he thought he had seen everything.

Now without Tessaiga, Inuyasha could only rely on his attack skills and wit to defeat the slithering cloth lady. He managed to dodge in time as a current of silk aimed towards him, and soon Inuyasha was rolling on the ground as waves of cloth came crashing.

"Dammit," he yelled. The streams of silk came in all directions, and they were too fast, their bright colours muddling his vision. He felt them wrapping around his wrists and ankles, constricting around his body like snakes. Up in the air Seiran held the juncture of the network of silks she had created, and pulled.

Inuyasha felt himself being hoisted in the air, the ends of the silk wrapping around his body, shackling him to a tree. Inuyasha resisted with all his might, screaming vulgarities as Seiran watched, smiling.

"Inuyasha, stop struggling!" The priest called. "The bindings are all connected! The harder you pull, the more you will hurt us!"

"He's right!" Sango added. "The sheets of cloth are all entertwined, like a mad tangle of a spider's nest. You can't use your powerful strength to escape without causing dire damage to us!"

"Dammit! How the hell am I supposed to free myself?!"

Seiran smirked at his exasperation. "Silly boy. You do _not_ , of course. You didn't think the mistress would come empty-handed, would you?" She strolled towards him with steady steps, the parasol shading her. "I know all about you, Inuyasha. I've heard tales of your swashbuckling group. How a bunch of misfits operate together, calling yourselves justice warriors."

"Justice warriors," Shippo gasped quietly. "I didn't know we sounded so cool."

"That's why I brought Mistress Okuni here," Seiran continued. "So she can get a taste of a _real_ half-demon. But ah. What to do, now that our poor hero is robbed off his sword?" Seiran's face creased with mock sorrow and before long Inuyasha realized there was something strange about this woman.

He spat to the ground. "Ya cross-dressing—" A shot of green silk burst out from inside Seiran's sleeve, coiling itself tightly around Inuyasha's neck.

"What was that?" said Seiran, her eyes wide with menace. "Say it again." Inuyasha badly wanted to, if not of the fact that his throat was choking. Damn, he didn't know a piece of cloth could be this strong.

"Mistress," Seiran called out to Okuni at the back, who was combing her hair before a pocket mirror. "Am I doing good?"

"Not good. Not until the _hanyou_ is inside the cage." Okuni gestured to the large cage sitting on the cartwheel. " _Then_ , we can call it a day."

"Okuni!" Kagome shouted, furious. "What are you planning to do with Inuyasha?! First it was Shippo, now him!"

"Shut up!" Okuni shouted back. "After you and your interfering mutt foiled my Age-Defying Elixir operation, I found no choice but to build a new business from scratch." She huffed and swiped her beautiful hair behind a dainty ear. "From now on, I deal with _hanyou livers_!"

" _Hanyou what_?!" Kagome gasped in disbelief.

"Yes, there is a high demand for livers from these half-blooded creatures. They say it holds potent aphrodisiac qualities. Keeps you up all night _and_ morning."

 _I shouldn't have asked_ , she thought. Kagome felt herself being sick.

"A-aphrodisiac," Miroku said, with all the seriousness and consideration in his eyes. "And how much would you charge for that?"

" _Priest!_ " the _taijiya_ cried.

Seiran chuckled before she pointed her parasol to Inuyasha. "We'll tell you, after we obtain his!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome called out angrily. "They're gonna kidnap you for your liver! It happened with Shippo once! Do something!"

"Yeah, she said I was going to make her pretty!" Shippo added.

"Shut up!" Inuyasha yelled. "I'm thinking!"

Miroku sighed with regret. "If my hands aren't locked behind me, I would have used my _kazaana_ to end all of this."

"Don't be disheartened, priest," Sango said from her tree beside him. "We'll get out of this. We've been through worse!"

He smiled at her. "Yes, and I expect to think over this one day with you, laughing with our children."

Her eyes shone. "Priest…"

"Come on, guys!" Inuyasha grumbled. "I'm trying to _think_ here! Kagome, you're saying that woman at the back was no match even for Sesshoumaru?"

"True that is! If I wasn't there, he would have been blown to pieces! Oh you should have seen me, Inuyasha! I was like a true, powerful _miko_ , my arrow bursting into a bright holy light—"

"Naw, I know you're just exaggerating!"

"It's true! Ask Okuni!"

"If that's the case, why the hell is she alive?!"

"I don't _know_!"

Inuyasha raged in frustration. "Release me!" he snarled to Seiran, who was rolling her blue eyes. "I'll go, but you won't ever touch my comrades!"

Seiran stilled in surprise. "Really? Is that your ultimate decision?"

The others gasped. "Inuyasha, are you sure about this?"

"Yes you idiots!" he shouted. "I'm going to surrender my liver to them! For the purpose of better procreation!"

"Hmmmm," Seiran went, contemplating. Nevertheless she shut her parasol close. A long blade jutted out from its end. "One move, and I'll strangle your friends to death."

Inuyasha swallowed, and nodded.

"Hey, aren't you going to release them?" Inuyasha questioned, after his bindings came loose, and he landed on the ground on two feet. "Into the cage first," Seiran directed him, with peevish eyes.

Okuni giggled behind her fan, as she watched Inuyasha voluntarily squeeze himself into the cage like a poor prisoner, albeit with a deep scowl. "I don't know why, but somehow you look even better behind bars."

"Sicko."

Kagome rubbed her wrists as they were freed from their confines. The group watched forlornly as the cartwheel became smaller in the distance.

Sango sighed. "I can't believe Inuyasha would sacrifice himself for us just like that. And all this time, I thought he was just a selfish, crude lad." She sobbed on the priest's shoulders, and his hand patted her back, before reaching lower.

"I'm sure Inuyasha has a plan," Kagome said. "Hey, shouldn't we go after them, now that we are free?"

"We can't just barge into them. We need a strategy," Shippo said, rubbing his chin. "First of all, we need to recover Inuyasha's Tesseiga and Sango's Hiraikotsu."

"Shippo is right," Miroku nodded, a red slap mark splayed across his face. He faced the sky towards the east, where Inuyasha was headed. "It's going to be a difficult search. But let's hope we can rescue Inuyasha before it's too late."

* * *

"Eye to eye! So alive! We're beautiful like diamonds in the sky!"

"He never shuts up, does he?" Seiran muttered on the cart, its wooden wheels rattling as the horses pulled them towards their destination. "I hate him already."

"He won't be singing anytime soon once we get home," Okuni said. "We'll be chopping his liver into pieces. But first there is that long marination process."

Seiran smiled to her—or rather _him_ —self. "So tell me, Mistress. The _hanyou_ is in the cage. Am I good enough now?"

"Patience, Seiran. I was just encouraging you just now. In truth you need to try harder."

"Shine bright like a diamond! Shine bright like a diamond!"

Seiran sighed. They were a long way from home.

 ** _To be continued!_**

 **[A/N: Thanks to Kagome, Inuyasha is now a Rihanna fan! (what?)]**


	10. Catch Me When I Fall

_**A/N: In which the Justice Warriors (minus Inuyasha) employ a new ally, and certain sparks between our favourite daiyoukai and miko are flying!**_

 _ **Catch Me When I Fall**_

Winter had encroached upon Edo. Clan flags ripple stiffly in the icy wind, and most village doors were kept shut from the snow. Hajime's Ramen Stop was brewing their third pot for the day, and it was only noon. It was funny how business seem to be most brisk during winter when people dreaded to leave their homes, but the cold stomach's call for a hot bowl of soup triumphed over everything else. Yes, it was funny, but that was how the world worked sometimes.

"No, I don't agree to it!" came a young woman's voice from one of the crowded long tables. She was dressed in strange, foreign clothes, and seemed to be part of a stranger entourage that included a Buddhist priest with a head full of hair, a woman hoisting a weapon larger than her and…was that a fox and a cat demon slurping on noodles?

"But Kagome-chan, we'll be able to kill two birds with one stone if we stick to this plan," Sango said.

Kagome folded her hands tightly, her steaming bowl of ramen left untouched. "Fine, let's say I do agree. It doesn't mean _he_ does!"

"Didn't you say Okuni kidnapped Rin and Jaken?" Miroku spoke up. "Also the fact that she almost obliterated him. Knowing Sesshoumaru, I'm sure if given the chance, he will seek for a re-match to prove he's the strongest."

"It's hard enough to make him tag us to fight Okuni and Seiran. But how do we convince him to find Tesseiga?" asked an exasperated Kagome. Why did it appear like she was the only sane, logical person at the table right now? For days her comrades had been talking about engaging Sesshoumaru's help on their rescue mission. It was preposterous. His Pompous and Arrogant Lordship would never even hear of their plans.

"Ply him with your sweet words, Kagome-chan. Recite him a romantic poem. Or pen a love letter, perhaps?"

The little _miko_ banged the table. "For the last time, we are _not_ in love!"

Shippo lifted his wet face from his bowl. "I know it doesn't sound like the best option now, but don't you want to save Inuyasha? We all do. And it's already the first week of winter. Inuyasha's liver is probably sealed in a pickled jar as we speak."

The priest nodded sadly. "It feels strange, isn't it? To enjoy a bowl of ramen without Inuyasha."

Her friends gave a plaintive sigh, and Kagome gave up.

"Alright alright!"

"Excellent!" Miroku clapped his hands "Now finding Sesshoumaru becomes at the top of our to-do list." He jotted down their plans on a notebook Kagome had presented him. It mostly contained his bittersweet observations of a transient life, as well as the names of some questionable women.

"Scratch that," Shippo said, grabbing his pen. "We can make Sesshoumaru come in a second. Just leave it to me."

The little _kitsune_ jumped on the table, as the other patrons continued to dish the group with more dirty stares. Kagome gaped. "Shippo-chan, what are you…" She nearly fainted as the kit transformed into a version of her, but gone were the cashmere sweater and winter leggings—instead her lookalike posing coyly on the table was decked out in a skimpy bikini outfit.

"Sesshoumaruuuu help me! It hurts! It hurts! Someone save me _pleeeease_! Ah! Ah!"

Miroku stood up, his arms outstretched. "Where does it hurt, Kagome-sama? Tell me!" He received a hard smack on his face.

Kagome screamed, shutting her eyes from the vile image of herself. " _SHIPPO-CHAN, NOOOOOOO! DON'T DO THATTTTT!"_

The sullen clouds cracked open and lightning flashed across the sky. "It's too late," Sango muttered, as a wintry blast hit across the tables and the snow whirled to reveal Sesshoumaru's imposing figure.

"A ploy?" Sesshoumaru went, his voice laced with anger. The group had finally been kicked out by the food stall for acting as a nuisance. Their conversation continued a few metres away. "I was in the middle of signing an important treaty with the Northern Boars. And you interrupted me with a _false_ distress call?"

"Don't look at me," Kagome sighed, "it was _their_ plan."

He turned his back on the group. "What an amusing lot you all are. It's true I have a truce to settle with the ogre-witch. But what makes you certain that this Sesshoumaru will go ahead to seek Tessaiga's whereabouts? That very same fang, that rejected me?"

"That's because…" Kagome started. She turned around. Her friends had retreated to give them a private space, silently rooting for her from the corner. Her winter boots scraped against the snow, unsure. Should she really go ahead with this? Would he agree to her idea? It all depended on her now! "If you help us, I'll take it that you're saving me a double-fold."

She saw as his figure shift in interest. Her heart started to beat faster with excitement. "It's an ideal arrangement, isn't it? You've been dying to free yourself from this obligation. And I just so happen to really need your help. What do you think?"

"You can do it, Kagome-chan!" Sango shouted a whisper. "Win his heart!"

"Come on, they're going to sell Inuyasha's liver!" Shippo called out loudly, impatient. "Doesn't that worry you a bit?"

A deep rumbling emanated from Sesshoumaru's chest. It took everyone a while to realize he was laughing. "At last that mongrel proves himself of some use." Then he turned to send a deadly glare at the back. "And I really should kill all of you for wasting my time."

Kagome dropped to her knees. Her hands plunged in the snow, the cold prickling her skin. She was losing him. And losing him would mean…losing Inuyasha. Something warm trickled down her face, meeting her lips, something warm and salty. "Sesshoumaru! _Please!_ I'm begging you! Please help us, just for this one time!"

He regarded her with silence for a few moments. "I would very much prefer if you were grovelling to me for your _life_." He dusted the snow from his pelt. "What are your plans after this?"

Immediately Kagome jumped up, her tears changed to that of happiness. "Yes! Thank you!"

"Get this in your puny, human brain. I am only doing this to relieve myself of the debt."

She rushed up to meet Sesshoumaru's face, and he took a step backward in reflex. "Can you somehow trace Tesseiga?"

He narrowed his eyes, then faced the gloomy sky. The wind ruffled through his long hair as he pondered. Kagome's fingers twitched. Then he faced her, his eyes meeting hers for the first time that day. For some reason, they seemed less cold than the snow beneath their shoes.

"It only calls to human blood. You were the one to extract my father's fang. And it has protected you many times. Only _you_ can hear Tessaiga's cry."

"Dowsing?" Kagome repeated.

Kaede nodded grimly in her hut. The group huddled in a ring around the burning hearth, as though the old _miko_ was telling a campfire horror story. "Yes, it's a divination method to locate water and other materials inside the ground. Tesseiga is a powerful sword that has acknowledged you. I suppose it's possible for you to locate its whereabouts." Then her face turned ashen. "But I'm not sure if you're spiritually inept for this. It can be mentally straining, even for my late sister. Are you sure you can manage?"

"I'll do anything it takes," Kagome whispered.

Kaede nodded, then she craned to the window, where Sesshoumaru was standing outside. "I thought I told you not to play with fire, Kagome. Whatever happened to my advice?"

Kagome blushed. "I'm sorry, Kaede. I've gotten in too deep."

At a warm corner, Rin and Jaken played with Shippo's toys. They didn't have an absolute idea of what was going on. Sesshoumaru had returned yesterday, asking them to pack, and suddenly they were at Old Kaede's house. He was always like that, always leaving them out from the loop.

"So we are joining forces to defeat the alien? Hurrah!" Rin whispered.

"What alien?" Shippo squinted at them.

Kaede continued. Her voice had taken a grave, sombre quality. "For your mind to reach out from its designated bounds… You have to be resolute. Your will must be strong, and your intentions has to be clean, free from impurities. Kagome. First of all, you will need to perform the _misogi_ purification as a form of preparation."

Awhile later, Kagome stood near the rushing waterfall. She pulled up the belt around her _hakama_ , mustering herself. Her lips pouted firmly in determination. "Kikyo has done this many times!" she told herself. "If she can do it, so can I!"

 _But has Kikyo ever performed a misogi purification in winter?_ She was standing a good two metres from the small waterfall, but the splash of the water sprinkling at her was more than enough to make Kagome rush home and roll in a blanket. Her teeth was chattering in the cold, and goosebumps were rife on her body. She hugged her body as she carefully stepped forward on the wet rocks, barefoot.

 _You can do this, Kagome! Think of Inuyasha! Think of Inuyasha and his liver! What you're doing is a small sacrifice for everything's he done for the team!_

"Is Kagome-chan going to sit there all night?" Sango enquired worriedly, as she watched her friend from afar meditate under the gushing cold waters for the last hour. "The winter is young, and the snow is tame, but she's going to suffer from a cold nevertheless."

The priest frowned beside her. "The point of everything is to have a strengthened mind, and the mind precedes the body. Kagome-sama will not fall sick if she doesn't allow herself to."

They heard a heavy clank of armour beside them among the trees. "I will stand here in place to guard the _miko_."

Sango and Miroku gaped at Sesshoumaru in shock. The _daiyoukai_ ignored their rude stares, placing his rapt attention on Kagome.

"I think he's telling us to leave," Sango whispered to her partner.

"Right."

Sesshoumaru wasn't sure how long he stood there. At the moment, time seemed like a trivial matter. For their plans to work, her preparation needed to be in order, and he would ensure she would get the best focus possible.

He clicked his tongue. A small annoyance tickled him. All of this…for that undeserving _hanyou_? Would he appreciate her efforts? Did he know how she was subjecting her body to extreme conditions, just to prepare herself to find his sword?

He grinded his jaw. "Lass…you are an idiot."

Something slithered on the rocks near where the _miko_ seated. Immediately his line of sight trained on it—a snake. It had detected a warm body and was seeking her heat. The snake would definitely break the concentration spell she had casted on herself.

His mind was devoid of any thoughts when he moved. He only knew to annihilate the incoming threat. Sesshoumaru leapt deftly on the rocks. His hand moved to slice with a _youki_ attack, but he quickly stopped himself. The last thing he wanted to do was to gain attention upon himself. The snake hissed at him and sprang forward. It coiled itself around his right leg. Using his strength, he snapped the offending vermin off of his body, snuffing its life out.

Sesshoumaru quickly turned to spy on Kagome. Her body was still seated upright under the falls in a meditative stance, her face marred in deep concentration.

Good, he thought, taking a step backwards. Then his foot slipped against the wet rocks. It happened too fast. His balance teetered—there was no time to react—and the next thing he knew, he had crashed butt-first into the river, in a big explosive splash.

Sesshoumaru quickly dragged himself up to land. His tongue was bleeding. He had bit himself, trying to stop a curse from forming. Why—why was he always such an utter _klutz_ around her? As if that stupid lemon episode was not enough. He looked up, then his breath stilled. The _miko_ was sitting directly in front of him.

 _Do not…do not make a sound_ , he told himself. _Do not even move, Sesshoumaru._ _If she breaks her focus…_

He allowed his eyes to stealthily roam up her. He could sense her powerful _reiki_ glowering from her body, buzzing quietly in an undercurrent. Then he remembered the power she had wielded when she shot the arrow towards the Demon Child-Eater's attack. He was stunned then, preferring not to wonder about it afterwards. But it was difficult as of that moment, not when he was stunned again…

His eyes trailed lower. The water had soaked her through, and her white robe become translucent in its wetness, clinging onto her skin. Sesshoumaru swallowed. His head suddenly felt hollow, as if all the blood had left him.

The sunrise crept up slowly from behind. He watched it with stilted eyes for a while. The sun rays reached Kagome, illuminating her face. Soon it enveloped her whole body, as it did to their surroundings, where everything was basked in the morning light.

It was all over. Kagome opened her eyes. She saw Sesshoumaru lying on the rocks before her. He put a finger to his lips. ' _Do not say anything._ '

She stilled in confused, before her face broke in a laugh. What was Sesshoumaru doing here? Was he being silly again? Slowly she stood up, and the exhaustion from last night suddenly swarmed into her body. Her legs felt like deadweight, and her body wobbled.

Sesshoumaru caught her quickly by the side. He allowed her weak body to lean against him. Her chest struggled as she managed a deep breath. Then she lifted her face, her eyes meeting his.

She was so cold, her small body shivering against his. Sesshoumaru found himself pulling her closer to him. But all the warmth he could provide, could probably never match the ones in her eyes.

 _ **To be continued…**_

 **[Miroku and Sango at the sides, watching the last end. "Sesshoumaru couldn't help it, could he? He just couldn't." Please review! It would really make my day! ]**


	11. Operation Justice Warriors

**Operation Justice Warriors (Part I)**

"So let me get this straight," Rin said, squatting over the snow beside Jaken. The ensemble had gathered outside Kaede's hut, preparing themselves for the next step in their rescue mission, code-named Operation Justice Warriors. Shippo had argued earlier on that it wasn't really Justice Warriors without Inuyasha, but Miroku smoothly countered that Inuyasha wouldn't really want to be labeled with such a righteous tag—with him they would be called, "Inuyasha _and_ the Justice Warriors."

"Sounds apt to me," Shippo had said, before resuming on to flex his karate chops. " _Haiiii-yaa!_ Hoo-boy, do I feel useful or what!"

Sango was bended over in her demon-hunter gear, polishing her Hiraikotsu. Thank God it had crashed at a nearby lake when Okuni whisked it away. Kirara had used her good nose, and discovered it stuck among the rocky banks of the lake. It was not so easy with Tesseiga however; it was as though the sword had mysteriously disappeared from the face of Earth.

A trickle of snow fell down the back of her neck and she instantly squirmed like a dancing worm. It was Miroku, acting on a playful whim, and she removed the debauched smile off the priest's face with a jab of her elbow.

Rin grabbed the Demon-Hand Staff from Jaken's webbed grip and drew large circles on the snow with its end. "So let me get this straight. The aliens have Inuyasha in their motherbase. But his magic sword is flung out somewhere in the far galaxy. Only Kagome the time-traveller can trace them with her psycho-telepathic powers. We'll then infiltrate the mothership with some sort of decoy we'll think of later. Lord Sesshoumaru will then help to kick butt with everyone else."

"And how do we fit in all of this?" Jaken shivered miserably. He hated winter, hated the snow and with everything it brought. The cold never agreed with his thin amphibious skin, crusting with frost. This was a period meant for hibernation, not for striving for some half-blooded mongrel who never did anything good for them.

A snowflake gently patted on Rin's button nose. She watched as it melted into a drop. The girl rose on her haunches and squinted determinedly.

"We can help to brew tea...when it gets really cold."

"Sounds like a good idea," Kagome said weakly with a smile, as she lumbered out from Kaede's house. Her voice was hoarse, without her usual spiritedness.

"Kagome-chan! You're up!" Shippo bounded on his feet, rushing towards her as everyone's heads perked up.

"My head still feels heavy, like it's encased in concrete." She rubbed on her temples, a pained frown on her face.

"Don't exert yourself, Kagome-sama," Miroku chided gently. "You're still suffering from mental fatigue. If you wish to know, you were actually asleep for two days straight after the _misogi_ purification. "

"What? That long?" Kagome was surprised—that was the longest she'd slept in her life. _Gee, I must be even shagged than I thought._ "Anyway why is your mouth bleeding, Miroku?"

"Stand aside," came a cold, assertive voice. Her concerned friends shifted to make room for the tall figure who had suddenly appeared behind them. It was Sesshoumaru, and he blended so well with the white, wintry landscape that almost no one noticed he had actually been sitting under a tree nearby, listening to Rin's amusing take on their plans.

"And where did _he_ come from?" Sango said, tensing as the _daiyoukai's_ large pelt brushed hard against her as he moved forward, frost spattering on her clothes. Again she did that squirm and there was a flash of a perverted smile, and Kagome abruptly learned the secret behind the priest's injury.

" _Miko_ ," Sesshoumaru said, his solemn, mirthless voice cutting the good cheer in everyone's hearts. "If you are well enough to be engaging in idle chatter, I assume you as ready to embark on Tesseiga's search."

"Come on, Kagome-chan just woke up. Give her a break, will you?" Shippo defended angrily. Sesshoumaru merely narrowed his eyes in response, but the _kitsune_ was already squeaking as he hid behind Kagome.

"It's okay, guys," Kagome said, trying to muster a smile. "I don't want to impede on this anymore than Sesshoumaru does. The more we delay, the more Inuyasha's life is in danger."

"But we are worried about you too, Kagome-chan," Sango insisted, holding on to her arm. "What happens to Inuyasha is beyond our control. You're here with us now. We can't let anything happen to you."

Sesshoumaru gave a sardonic smirk as he removed himself from the group. The outpour of concern for the _miko_ was highly unnecessary. She was stronger than that. This was, after all, the same woman to whom he owed a life-debt, incurred twice in a row. Nothing was as bitter as the fact that he _owed_ a human _something_.

"Herein I will have the highest authority in this group, therefore I will be the one to have a final say. If you so desperately seek this Sesshoumaru's assistance, then so be prepared to bear my orders." He glared at Shippo who was sticking out his tongue, and the fox kit quickly yelped behind Kagome again. "Does anyone have any other _concerns_?"

"Yeah," Rin suddenly piped up, raising her hand. "Is nobody here going to ask what in the world is "concrete?""

Meanwhile, somewhere far, far away, hidden east towards the bleakness of the icy caves and of bottomless gorges, was a secret lodge sidled among the jagged rocks. Its interiors were lit and warmed with a large, cackling fire-hearth at a corner, its floors lined with the furry pelts of beasts.

Inuyasha laid in a wooden bath-tub, displaying a tongue-curling yawn. The candles flickering in the bathroom lent more shadows than light, making him woozy. That, plus the camphor. It made him high and sleepy, he swore.

The marination process had begun. It involved the initial phase of ensuring the liver in a healthy and sufficiently nourished state. Not just the liver, but the whole vessel that housed the organ as well. Inuyasha was simmering in warm herb-water that made the bathroom smell like an apothecary— _he_ smelled like an apothecary, for god's sake.

Okuni was kneeling beside the tub, as she worked to massage his arms. She leaned forward her petite face to coo in his ear. "Does it feel good when I massage you like this, Inuyasha? This is a special concoction I brewed for just for you. It diffuses into your skin, and will detoxify all impurities from your system." Her long fingernails scratched against his bare chest ticklishly, and Inuyasha bit his lip to stop the giggle bursting from within.

"You have good hands, Okuni," Inuyasha remarked, putting on a boyish grin. "Maybe...slightly lower?"

"Here?" Okuni enquired, elbows-deep in the water.

"Even lower, lower...yes! My knee! That's where I'm talking about. Just keep that pace, woman. You're a master in this craft!"

Okuni blushed and gave a gravelly chortle. "Oh Inuyasha, you just make me want to _mother_ you." She rose slightly and her large bosom nearly smothered him in the face. Inuyasha squealed—he couldn't move, not when his hands and legs were shackled in the water. At that moment Seiran entered with a sack of garlic and other herbs, only to see the mistress' chest in the hanyou's face.

Seiran smacked the sack of herbs on Inuyasha's head while quickly apologizing. "Oops! Didn't mean to hit you!"

"Seiran, be careful next time," Okuni glared. "We don't want to damage our merchandise any further. You already battered him enough as it is."

 _Anytime now_ , Inuyasha grinned back, the taste of blood in his mouth. _I'm just waiting for the right moment to strike._

Everyone watched with bated breaths as the compass needle spun freely on its axis, clockwise-wise, then counter-clockwise. Aided by Kagome's warm, swirling reiki, it would hence act as the designated instrument for her dowsing, and point towards the direction of Tesseiga's whereabouts. It was ironic, how she had never used her compass throughout her journeys with Inuyasha—after all she travelled with supernatural creatures who didn't need such contraptions to know from where the sun rose, or if they were heading the right way to the Bone-eater's Well. Today, her once unnecessary compass would finally prove itself to good use.

At last Jaken couldn't take it any longer and threw up a fit, walking off. "The thing is broken, I tell you! The blind leading the blind! Ha! What a joke!"

Behind him, Sesshoumaru glared with glowering eyes. "I'll show you who's blind."

Awhile later Jaken returned to his former position beside Rin and Ah-Un, his eyes so swollen he almost could see nothing.

"Ah!" Kagome's eyes flew open, awakened from her meditative trance. Sango placed a kind hand on her shoulder as Kagome wiped the light sheen of perspiration on her forehead. The needle had rested towards the northeast.

"I saw...an image of a vast field of grass in my mind," Kagome said.

Sesshoumaru looked up towards the direction. Up ahead were winding forest trails, with a network of rivers cutting through. They led towards the white, oppressive mountains looming up close.

"Mount Midoriyama," he said. "While the kanji for _midori_ can interpret the colour green, its definition also encompasses the embodiment of nature by itself."

"You just had to use to use the word "encompass" didn't you?" Sesshoumaru lifted a nifty eyebrow at her and Kagome coughed softly. "Now that you mentioned it, the field was very green."

"Mount Midoriyama, is it?" Miroku said gravely with a frown. The freezing, snow-capped mountains were anything but green, rather they forebode a quiet sense of calamity. "Even from here, I can see a blizzard brewing at its peaks. It's going to be extremely dangerous."

Sesshoumaru turned. "Rin, Jaken. The two of you will stay put in the old _miko's_ house."

"What?! But we've been appointed the official tea-makers in the group!" Rin protested.

"No one appointed us, Rin," Jaken sighed.

"So what's the plan now?" Shippo asked, perched on the priest's shoulder.

"Let's go," Sesshoumaru announced briskly. He dashed off towards the dark woods before anyone could say another word.

"What! Hey, wait for me!" Kagome shouted in surprise as she ran after him, just barely catching the end of his pelt as he descended up into the air.

Sesshoumaru stared over his shoulder at the young woman dangling off him, screaming as he shot up for the skies. With a click of his tongue, he whipped his pelt, the motion causing her to hurl up, and she caught onto his shoulder just in time.

"Nice save," Kagome said in English, with a broken grin. She flashed him a thumbs-up sign. Sesshoumaru snorted.

They did not say anything more, but it seemed to be an unspoken mutual agreement between them—that they would be partners in this quest. She would guide him towards Tesseiga and retrieve it; and he would protect her life in any way that he could, for as long as she needed him. All to get that debt of his back, of course.

Some distance away in the air, Sango, Miroku and Shippo were mounted on Kirara, racing towards Mount Midoriyama as well. "I _told_ you they were together!" she said to the paling priest, who was watching the unlikely couple up ahead.

"Giddy-up, giddy-up!" came Rin's shrill voice, as Ah-Un flew to catch up beside them.

"Hey!" Shippo went. "Aren't you guys supposed to..."

"Sesshoumaru-sama is going to be mad if he knows," Jaken grumbled behind her.

"Nah, I think he has more important things to think about," Rin countered with confidence. "Besides, we're the official—"

"Shut up, Rin."

"Sesshoumaru, up ahead!" Kagome pointed somewhere along the slopes of the mountain.

It was so cold that her watch had stopped working, and Kagome had long forgotten exactly how many hours had passed to reach Mount Midoriyama. What she was certain however, was that it was one of her worse journeys yet, because of the incredible, awkward silence suffocating them. She was clutched tightly against the _daiyoukai_ , his body encased in hard armour. She sighed, daring to peer up his face, impassive as usual even though they were storming through freezing clouds of ice that made her wince. It didn't matter what he was doing. Sesshoumaru was always so _serious_.

She smiled a little as she tried to remembered his silly antics throughout the whole frustrating game they were stuck in, who was going to save who and whatnot. How it was always, funnily enough, ended up with her helping him and not the other way round as he so much intended.

 _His pride must be so bruised_ , Kagome thought empathetically. _So bruised that he's willing to put it aside to help us. Oh Sesshoumaru. You must really want to kill me, given the choice. But why haven't you, I wonder? Is it true that somewhere in your heart you hold compassion even for little, old me?_

Suddenly Sesshoumaru jerked his shoulder, and Kagome stiffened. "Cease your staring, lass. A good _miko_ should learn to lower her eyes, especially in the presence of an honourable lord."

 _Take back my words, he's really nothing but a pompous ass._

And then she felt a spark in her senses, as something within the deep enclaves of Mount Midoriyama called to her. Kagome cried out as she pointed it to him. Sesshoumaru picked up his speed, centering towards the area, skimming past the powder-white slopes. There was a thundering explosion of sound as the mountain seemed to shake, as they managed to evade a huge splatter of snow.

"There's an avalanche coming down!" she shouted when she looked back.

Kagome watched in horror as the enormous cascade of snow rumbled down ominously close to Kirara and the others, _too_ close in fact, and suddenly it swallowed them and they disappeared. The avalanche hissed to a stop, the trees all trampled and submerged in its wake.

Kagome screamed, a hand reaching towards the empty air. _My friends! My friends are all buried—they're going to die!_

Kagome wasn't thinking as she pulled herself off Sesshoumaru, resulting in an almost fatal drop into the thick blanket of snow. It was too cold to feel anything. Her teeth were chattering wildly against the whipping wind, and the snow reached to her chest, but still she struggled to move forward, towards where her friends had fallen.

 _I can do this, just a step forward..._

" _Miko!_ " she heard him shout in the distance. "It is far too dangerous to go any further!"

She ignored him, gritting her teeth. She couldn't feel her legs anymore nor the tears running down her cheeks. If Sango and the rest were to die, could she live with it?

Suddenly there was a roar up above. Kagome stood, petrified as another wave of avalanche came crashing down, rolling towards her. She felt the first bits of ice splattering on her face, the gust of wind robbing her of her voice. It was her turn now, wasn't it? She wondered if Inuyasha would be mad at her for dying like this...

The snowstorm embraced her like a white angel of death. Kagome closed her eyes and felt as her body flung back. In the split-second she waited for the oppressive weight to suffocate her and shatter her ribs. But it never quite came.

The roaring died, the air deathly quiet for some reason. She was deep in the snow, and yet strangely she was not covered in it. She wasn't dead either, because she could feel her heartbeat thundering wildly in her chest. Kagome creaked open her eyes.

Sesshoumaru was braced above her body, the spoils of the avalanche crushing against his back. His usually deadpan face was marred with a heavy frown, dishevelled, his hair spilling towards her. A resounding crack came from his armour plate, and he gritted his fangs.

Kagome gasped, and clasped her hands against his chest. "Sesshoumaru! Please don't push yourself—you don't have to do this!"

"You fool," he quietly seethed. "This Sesshoumaru will not be defeated by a mere heap of snow."

"But—" Kagome stiffened as he seemed to lose strength in his arms, his body lowering towards her. Sesshoumaru bit back a curse. The weight was too heavy for him to bear—he was faltering before her eyes. Another slip of his strength. He was so close to her now, her quivering lips a hair's breadth from his. She could feel his icy breath against her skin.

She squeezed his shoulders, feeling helpless. "Sesshoumaru..." she whispered. Suddenly his eyes flew open and she felt a horrible chill down her spine. Instead of the sharp, golden glare she was used to, his eyes had now turned red and feral, belonging to an untamed demon.

 _Oh...crap. His body's kicked into survival beast mode._

"Distract me!" Sesshoumaru snarled, beckoning from the utmost thin shred of self-control he was left with.

"H-how?!" Kagome blabbered, suddenly thrusted with the power to appease his beast.

"Say something—anything!"

Kagome panicked. What? What was she supposed to say? It was never like this when Inuyasha transformed! What if she blabbered the wrong thing? Would she end up as minced meat?

"Hurry!"

"Long flowering branches of beautifully coloured wisteria entwined about a pine tree!" she finally blurted, tears springing.

She saw as his delicate eyebrows knitted themselves. Her words had gone through his head somehow. Although his eyes remained frighteningly dangerous upon her face. She turned away slightly.

"Chinese...brocade?" he ventured slowly, his breath on her neck.

Kagome gasped. _Oh god, he knows! He knows what I'm talking about! I can deter his transformation like this!_

"A sword with a decorated scabbard!" Kagome exclaimed with renewed vigour.

"The grain of the wood...in a Buddhist statue."

Sesshoumaru shut his eyes, gathering all his wills to regain his composure. He shivered as he did so, and Kagome felt a pang of guilt. Why would he go through such lengths just to dissolve a stupid debt? Wasn't his life worth more than everything?

Then he blinked, and his eyes were of sharp gold once more.

"Lass," he said, his voice hoarse and weary, but somehow there was a crooked smile on his lips. "I am going to break through the ice. So hold on to me."

"I have been clutching onto your shoulders in terror, in case you haven't noticed."

"Good."

She allowed herself to hug him tighter for a secured grip, then ducked her head as he summoned all of his strength to crash out from the snow with lightning speed. They hovered into the air for a while as he scouted for somewhere to settle. At last his eyes caught sight of a hidden shack among the trees, untouched by the avalanche.

"I have discovered somewhere we can stay, whilst waiting for the storm to die down," he said, bringing them towards the shack. "I know you are worried about your friends, but they will survive."

However Kagome wasn't listening. A stray, ridiculous thought had teased her, and now she couldn't stop thinking about it.

 _The way he exploded through that ice. For a moment it was like...he was Superman and I was Lois Lane. Too cool..._

 _ **To be continued!**_

 **A/N: Took me awhile to produce the chapter cos I had written it halfway and didn't save it somehow. Ughhhh! Okay, finally the romance is starting to start! Sesshoumaru and Kagome in a shack. Hmmmm... *starts to rub hands together***


	12. Storm of Hearts

**A/N: Okay guys I know I'm like so far behind with this story, but since I'm on a writing spree right now, I'mma just continue! Let's pray this sudden burst of motivation lasts me for a long while. *stares at my script and plot points collecting dust*]**

 **Storm of Hearts**

The furious snowstorm outside remained relentless, with no sign that it would abide soon. Inside the shack, Kagome lay flat, wheezing, trying to collect her breaths.

The chaotic series of events that just transpired were replaying back in her head. The sudden avalanche, Sango and the rest trapped in the snow, Sesshoumaru almost crushing himself underneath the rubble just to save her. She winced as she thought of her friends. Please, please, gods, make them safe.

Kagome eyed the small window, watching the hopeless scene outside. It was a miracle Sesshoumaru had spotted the tiny shack in the midst of the crazy storm. She couldn't imagine a fate otherwise.

"Do you still have that fire starter with you?"

Kagome turned. Sesshoumaru was sitting at the back, and she had completely forgotten his presence there.

Looking at his face now in his default manner, calm and devoid of emotions, it was hard to believe how a short while ago he had almost allowed his inner beast to consume himself. And she unfortunately would have been minced meat if she hadn't snapped him out of it, which was itself another miracle. After all who would have thought a normal girl like her could subdue such a ferocious creature, by quoting lines from Sei Shonagon's The Pillow Book?

Finally those boring Japanese Literature lessons amounted to something. And by a sliver of chance Sesshoumaru had recognised those lines, reciting them in a bid to tether his consciousness. It worked. Somehow the idea of the _daiyoukai_ reading a book was interesting, but not too far off. He was of noble blood, after all.

"Well?" His eyebrows moved in a subtle lift.

Immediately the _miko_ broke off from her reverie. She rose from the ground and zipped open her backpack. "Fire starter? You mean my deodorant spray? Yes, I still have it somewhere here..."

The deodorant spray and lighter, last utilized during the Mama Lemon incident, was brought out. Kagome knelt to the dead hearth in the middle of the shack. There was still a heap of dry firewood left, but for how long they could last, she didn't know.

Her hands shivered as she struggled to press her deodorant. Frostbite was creeping into her fingers.

"M-My fingers are freezing," she said, and her teeth were chattering now. Sesshoumaru came closer. Her breath stilled when he held both her hands, and without uttering a single word, started to rub them against his. It took her a few seconds to realise he was warming her up. And another few seconds to note how small her hands were, in his.

"C-could you press the nozzle for me?" Kagome stammered, and it wasn't just because of the cold.

Sesshoumaru did so, as she rolled her lighter. The firewood burst into flames. Kagome smiled, almost laughing at the feat. With how things were going, even a small success was making her extra grateful for everything. She rubbed her hands together near the heat, consciously reminded of how Sesshoumaru had done just so.

 _Was that normal?_ she wondered. _Does Sesshoumaru just warms people's hands whenever they need it?_

A sudden heavy clunk of armour jolted her, and she sprung around. As if her face was already not pale enough from the cold; the sight that greeted her was causing all her blood to drain out.

"You should remove your wet clothes," Sesshoumaru told her, while _stripping_ himself off. Her eyes widened at each article of clothing dropping to his feet. "They will only impede the heat from getting into your skin." He saw the flabbergasted look on her face and clicked his tongue. "This is not the time to be embarrassed, not when we are in a life-and-death situation. Besides," he added, and his inner garment was slipping from his shoulders now, giving her a glimpse of his smooth, hardened chest, "it is not like I have yet to see you completely unclothed before."

Kagome nodded, red-faced as she clutched on her clothes reluctantly. "You got a point. I just wish you could be more...sensitive about it?" Instantly Sesshoumaru sent her a glare, one that made her scramble to undress.

Slowly Kagome crouched near the fire. She brought her knees up to her chest as she hugged her body, now bare without a single thread. She didn't dare to peek at Sesshoumaru, and she as hell hoped he didn't either.

She closed her eyes, trying to absorb the heat of the crackling fire. Here she was, warm under a secure shelter, away from the blizzard, but...

"Do you think..." she started, and she hated how her voice was wavering, "Sango and Rin and the others… Do you think they survived? And at this time, Inuyasha…" It was too late, her tears were already streaming down her cheeks. She could taste them in her mouth. Kagome buried her face in her knees. What if she was the only person left? She couldn't pull through this. She couldn't pull through this alone.

"They'll be alright. I know they are," Sesshoumaru spoke, his figure hidden behind the fire. His voice sounded so sure, so confident. Kagome desperately wanted to believe in him. "You should place more faith in your comrades. You lot are like a pack of fleas. You bang it, and the thing is not there."

"Fleas, huh. Why can't you just say we're _resilient_?"

* * *

A succulent little grape popped into Inuyasha's mouth, and Okuni giggled.

"Ah-ah. You're just like a real puppy, aren't you? A grape-eating puppy." She tickled behind his dog ear, then laughed, feeding him more grapes from the fruit platter. At the other end of the tub, Seiran continued to knead Inuyasha's foot in the water, silently scowling.

There were some sounds outside at the entrance of the lodge. "Ah, it's the courier delivering my dried goods," Okuni said, then hurried out.

Inuyasha allowed himself to finally relax in the tub for a second, and expelled a long sigh of relief. At that very moment, the fruit platter slammed into his head. The bunch of grapes splashed into the water.

"What the heck! Hey!"

"Listen here!" Seiran spat, pointing a deadly claw at his nose. "We're going to cut off your head and take your liver when everything is over. Don't think this is some kind of vacation."

Inuyasha gave his usual scoff and crossed his arms behind his head. "Well, I don't mind enjoying a little piece of heaven before I go to hell. I'm good to go, that's all I'm saying." He gave a crooked smile as Seiran tore a sack of ginger and dumped it into the water, with much anguish as possible.

"I just don't understand what the mistress sees in you," Seiran further ranted, as another bag of herbs was mixed in. Ooh, the smell was getting unbearable now. Really, he was going to be one stinky piece of shit once this was all over!

"Hey," Inuyasha said, rising in the tub. "You're a guy, aren't you? And you're in love with Okuni."

Seiran shot him a suspicious look. "So what if I am? It's none of your business."

"You're never gonna get her. Just sayin'. She'll just use you until you expire. And I know an _excellent_ example of a guy who does just that."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"That you should just give up. I mean, there are other fishes in the sea. That's what they always say, right?"

Seiran gave a sarcastic grin as he watched Inuyasha nonchalantly filched a piece of grape floating about, and munched noisily through it.

"You have probably never been loyal to anyone, have you? I'd _live_ for her, and I'd _die_ for her. That is something I don't expect you to understand."

"Hmm," Inuyasha went, swallowing his food. "Touché." Then he opened his mouth and started another round of raucous singing.

" _Want you to make me feel, like I'm in the only girl in this world!_ "

"Ahhhhh, someone make the thing shut up, please!"

* * *

Kagome stirred. Her body felt like deadwood as her eyes fluttered open. The storm had died down and sunlight shone softly through the window. Her mind was woozy, as if she had fallen into a long sleep, and her body had yet to awake. It felt strangely warm too, and it wasn't the kind of heat from a fire. It was...

Kagome froze, as her heart and mind reached a complete standstill. She was lying on the ground with Sesshoumaru, _their bodies wrapped in an embrace_. His heavy arms had snaked around her back, her own hands splayed against his chest, and she was sure their legs were all tangled together. The worst thing of all? Both of them still utterly naked as the day they were born. She had died from the shock and woken up again only to re-live the moment.

No wonder it was warm. Warm and a tad too comfortable.

 _Why...why are our bodies locked together? I don't remember doing this. I don't even remember us sleeping. Did our bodies somehow unconsciously seek each others' warmth? I mean, he did say this was a life-and-death situation but... Is this normal to him too? Hugging naked people in the cold? Gosh, I'm so confused right now..._

She struggled to collect her breaths. For some reason Sesshoumaru still lay asleep, even though she had just experienced a mini panic attack beside him. Nervously, she looked up to meet his face.

 _I just wished things didn't have to come so far. Once upon a time, I was just minding my own business in the hot spring and then there's this stupid scorecard and before I know it, we're sleeping naked with each other..._ She swallowed, as her eyes washed all over his features. There was no denying it. Proud asshole or not, he was, without argument, one of the most attractive creatures she'd seen. It was a fact.

 _He looks so solemn, even when asleep. But a sexy kind of solemn. Darn, did I really think that?_

And then a little thought came quietly to her, a little treacherous thought, because right then it was just the both of them, alone in the shack, the world completely closed fromthem...

 _Until we're here…_ her thoughts slipped, and she moved her body just a little, snuggling up against his chest.

Sesshoumaru's eyes flicked open. Suddenly she had a bright pair of yellow blinkers shining at her.

"Uh, morning?" Kagome blurted. This is it, she thought. This is the part where she dies, slain by a naked demon.

"Is this a dream?" Sesshoumaru spoke at last, after a long, unnerving silence. His voice was very still and quiet.

"Who knows?" she mumbled. "Maybe we really died in the avalanche."

 _Yeah, way to go, Kagome, making jokes right now._

There was a sudden flurry of movement. Kagome yelped. Before she knew it, his body was over her, and she was hit by a strong sense of déjà vu.

"In that narrow plane between life and death," Sesshoumaru whispered tightly near her face. There was an intense look in his eyes and his voice was hoarse now, sultry even. His face was so close, a thousand and one scenarios were fast-forwarding in her head, and they all involved _kissing_. This was entirely different from when they were trapped in the snow. This was...he was...

"This was how it all ended, no?" He paused as his eyes gleamed. "Then I shall savour this moment."

Kagome shut her eyes and bit her lip. She might be young and inexperienced but she'd definitely knew if a man was coming on to her, and Sesshoumaru definitely was coming on to her. She could feel his sinewy legs rub against hers, his warm breath against her skin, and it was creating an overwhelming reaction inside her-

"Lass," his voice came into her ears.

Kagome squealed. At that precise moment, the door of the shack banged open.

"Kagome-chan! Sesshoumaru-sama! You're safe!"

They stared at the door in shock. Her group of friends had burst into a sudden, opportune entrance. Sango, Miroku, Shippo and Kirara. Even Jaken and Rin. Yes, they had all survived the storm and somehow tracked the pair down here. They stood at the door, their beaming faces slowing dropping.

Kagome shut her eyes again and screamed. " _Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa_!"

Awhile later, everyone was huddled inside the small shack, even Ah-Un. It was quite a crowd, everybody busy with chatter as they brushed snow off their clothes and warmed themselves by the fire. Shippo was roasting mashmellows while RIn boiled some water for tea. She was, after all, the designated Tea-Maker.

Rin observed as her lord isolated himself off, sitting at a corner, face against the wall.

"Why is Sesshoumaru-sama so moody? Is it because he told us not to come but we did anyway?"

Jaken eyed his lord discreetly. "It's because he caught him red handed."

Rin shrugged, standing up with a tray of cups. "Oh well. Tea, everyone!"

At the corner, Sesshoumaru hung his head in mortification. "It was not a dream," he whispered to himself, almost shaking. He couldn't face anyone now. He would sit there by the wall forever, until the end of time.

At another corner, Kagome sat by herself as well, stoned, her words left her completely, as she pondered. _Did everyone see that? Yes, they did. They saw and now I'm really minced meat. And also, what the hell did he mean by savouring the moment?_

As far as anyone was concerned, the pair would never forget, nor live it down for the rest of their lives.

 _ **To be continued in the next chapter!**_

 _Credits: Only Girl (In the World) performed by Rihanna, lyrics wriiten by_ _ERIKSEN MIKKEL, JOHNSON CRYSTAL_


	13. Operation Justice Warriors (Part II)

**Operation Justice Warriors–Part II**

"Anyway, Kagome-chan, we have a surprise for you," Sango said, turning to Miroku. "Priest, show her what we found."

Miroku smiled. He reached for something hidden among the heap of burlap sacks containing their food and supplies, all of which were still full and intact much to Kagome's relief. Seeing all the red faces around her, chattering over tea by the fire, she realized she had grossly underestimated her comrades' survival skills. She blushed over the excessive worry she had had for them.

There was a light clank of metal. Kagome could not even cover her gaping mouth then, she was that shocked. Like a magician pulling out a rabbit from his hat, what lay in Miroku's grip right now was...

"Tesseiga!" Kagome cried out.

Sango laughed at her reaction. "We discovered the sword while digging for Shippo in the snow. Now that I think of it, it wasn't very far from the area that you pointed, Kagome-chan."

"Well, we couldn't believe it when we first saw it too," Miroku said. "I swear it just looks like an old piece of junk metal, doesn't it? However Kirara gave a good sniffing and she instantly verified that it was indeed Tessaiga." He gave it a good shake and the dull blade clattered unimpressingly against the dirty, worn-out scabbard. Even then, the look in the priest's eyes was nothing short of bewilderment, a look he normally displayed upon chancing a woman.

"To think this was forged with a fang of a great _daiyoukai_ some centuries ago. It really looks impotent in the wrong hands, doesn't it, Sango?"

"I agree, but you could have used a better word."

"Ah-ah, you're thinking of other things now."

Sango quickly turned to Kagome, eager to break away from the topic. She placed her warm hand on her friend.

"You know what this means now, right Kagome-chan? We can look for Inuyasha. And for that, we'll really need to seek for Sesshoumaru's assistance." Sango looked around the walls in confusion. "Speaking of which, where is he?"

"He's been sitting outside from just now," Kagome muttered morosely.

"Never the social butterfly, isn't he? Now, why don't you ask if he can start tracking Inuyasha down?"

Kagome squeezed her friend's hand. Her own hand was clammy. "Um, why don't you ask him instead?"

"Eh, why the shy cat now, Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked with a light, but knowing smile.

"Yeah, didn't you guys get it on last night?" Shippo piped from near the fire, still busy roasting his marshmallows.

"We did no such thing!"

A tea tray was suddenly shoved to her. Kagome looked down at the steaming tea set, then at the little girl who had pushed it to her.

"Give him this tea, Kagome-sama," Rin said, her voice firm with an uncanny fortitude. "And forward us the next plan."

The snow rained in a heavy drizzle, but considering they were high in the mountains, with a snow storm that just died, it was pretty tame. The tall maple and beech trees, indigenous in the higher altitudes, were all frosted and stiff, and heavily dappled in white as though someone had taken them by their trunks, and rolled them in icing. Behind them the jagged slopes of Midoriyama rolled endlessly, never ceasing to remind her of the perils they withheld.

Kagome breathed in a surge of ice into her lungs. Her hands holding the tea tray were shaking, but not from the cold.

She saw Sesshoumaru sitting a few metres away from the shack, under a cluster of beech trees. It had taken her a while to spot him, a small splash of colour amidst a sea of white. Winter was really his season, wasn't it. It suited him, with his stony facade and his ice-cold heart. And she for sure couldn't stand sitting outside in the snow like that, mortified or not.

She trudged reluctantly. _Oh why must it be her to do the talking? Sango could go too, and she has nothing to be awkward about! Argh, focus on the plan in hand, Kagome! To rescue Inuyasha's liver from becoming an aphrodisiac! Geez, if only my family and friends back home knew half the things I do here…_

Before she knew it, she was already a few steps away from the great Lord of the West.

She bent her knees to kneel, felt her joints creaking with growing discomfort.

"T-tea?" she managed, her teeth chattering. She glanced at the tea cups and realized snowflakes were floating on its surface, before quickly melting in the heat. It wouldn't be long before they lost their warmth.

Sesshoumaru didn't look at her, his face turned the other way.

"Tell your rag-tag company to stop poking their noses where they don't belong," he said.

"What?" Kagome turned, and saw everyone hiding behind the shack, watching her excitedly. Miroku smiled and flashed her a thumbs-up sign. Quickly she gestured them to disappear, waving her hand frantically.

"Are they completely gone?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"Yes, yes they are. Sorry about that."

He finally turned, and his eyes swept to her straight in a hard gaze, barely sweeping over the tea. Kagome stiffened. She had never met anyone who could stare sharp icicles into her brain and and still give no inkling as to what churned in his head. Just when she thought he was going to do something, he wouldn't, and then sometimes, the other way round. He was always so unpredictable.

 _And that's why he's so dangerous_ , a little voice whispered in her.

"You must know something," Sesshoumaru said. "And that is– _that nothing happened last night_." His eyes were unblinking and his voice was hard, as though he wanted to reiterate every word. "Everything that occurred, in actual fact, did not. Perhaps it was one of those feverish, winter dreams that you have sometimes. I don't, however. Do you understand what I'm saying, lass?"

Kagome gave a small shrug. "I don't know what you're talking about. I came here in the freezing cold to talk about our next plans." She lifted the tray slightly and tried again. "Now, do you want tea?"

His face was already pale to begin with, Kagome observed, but if there was any colour in his cheeks to begin with, then they had faded, just slightly.

"Oh," Sesshoumaru said. He was obviously surprised by her reaction, but did well to conceal it. "Oh. Very well, then." A hand came forward to grasp a cup, claws against porcelain, and it nearly reached his lips, but he stopped. He looked at her again. The snow was spotting against her dark hair, some flakes on her cheek. Yet she didn't flinch.

Just like she didn't flinch when she sat under the waterfall, or when she had pressed fire into the lemon's face, or when she had released her arrow into Okuni's attack.

There were more moments too, he knew, but he didn't feel like shuffling through them in his head. She was sturdier than she appeared, when left on her devices. He would give her that much. Sturdy. A sturdy lass, she was. Still it didn't mean she _wasn't_ a damsel in distress, because one and a million things could still happen to her and she would still need him. And that was the proper way it was meant to be. The world was a better place if people just stayed in their little roles.

And how about him? he wondered, looking into his cup. The thought came before he could stop it. _Have I been faithful to my own role?_

His nose flared and he pulled his cup away. "Inuyasha has a foul stench to him. It won't be difficult to track him down. If your flea-pack are quite done with their roosting, we can all make haste to move."

"Gosh, they're not fleas!" Kagome sighed. "Anyway before we set to go, I just wanted to thank you. You know, for saving me yesterday."

"The counter was reset after I agreed to be an ally. Following yesterday's event, I suppose its 0-1 now."

"No, you're wrong. It's 1-1. If I hadn't started the fire we would have frozen to death."

Sesshoumaru looked at her incredulously, as if she had accused him of a petty crime. "But I was the one who calmed your frostbite."

"Which I didn't ask, definitely! I could have still lit up the fire regardless!"

"If I didn't discover the shack, you would not be sitting here right now, offering me tea!"

"To the hell with tea!" Kagome grabbed his cup from his hand and drank it in one gulp, then spat it out as quickly. "Who the hell made this?! It's the most bitter tea I ever tasted!"

"Ah a lovers' tiff, how romantic," Miroku commented from behind the shack, his face just barely peeking out. Sango blushed beside him.

"It's disturbing," Shippo said.

"I can't believe Kagome-sama has zero taste when it comes to tea," Rin grumbled.

The group prepared for their next journey, shortly after. They piled snow over the hearth to dampen the fire, and lugged their supplies on their rides, about 3 bags in total. Miroku didn't want to hold Tessaiga, fearing its "impotency" might rub off on him, although he didn't really said it aloud, so Sango had fastened it by her hip, along with her _wakizashi_ . Everyone was relieved to finally leave the freezing mountains, and they didn't even look back when they soared down from Mount Midoriyama, southwards for the comparably warmer countrysides.

"So did you guys really do it?" Shippo asked Kagome curiously, who had chosen to mount on Kirara with the others.

"I'll throw off anyone who dares to ask!" Kagome screamed.

* * *

Night had fallen in the deep south. There was a great number of tall, steep cliffs in the area, jarring to walk upon and even so in the darkness, where a slight imbalance over its edges would spell a quick doom. Somewhere among the many cliffsides was a wooden lodge where the Demon-Child Eater was preparing her latest concoction: the best demon aphrodisiac in the market.

Okuni was getting ready for bed, sitting by her mirrored drawers. She rubbed rose-scented lotion in her arms, as Seiran stood dutifully behind her, combing her long hair.

"Mistress, it has been a week," Seiran said. It sounded like he had been waiting to say it for a long time. "I think the hanyou's liver is ripe for picking."

"Let's just wait for one more day," Okuni replied without much consideration.

Seiran tossed the comb as hard as he could. His expression of anger was well-reflected on the glass. "We'll just fatten him up until he grows into an old dog at this rate!"

"Seiran, how dare you defy me!" Okuni turned, giving him a disbelieving look now, and he hated that it was meant for him.

"That look that you reserve for him, why won't you gaze me as such?"

Okuni huffed and turned back, combing her hair with her own fingers. "Seiran, I'm not sure where you're getting at–"

"I _love_ you, Mistress Okuni," Seiran said. He leaned forward near her face and gripped her shoulders. "For the past 5 centuries that I served you, I have always been nothing but _loyal_. I even became the subject to all of your beauty experiments!"

Okuni frowned at her reflection. She didn't like the way Seiran's face was beside her–they contrasted too much and brought her own loveliness down a notch. They really weren't a good match. But that was beside the point.

A light chortle erupted from her chest. "Seiran, I didn't know you were a comedian. But a bad one apparently." Suddenly she stood up and looked at Seiran, flinging back her hair. She was no longer laughing now, no more humour written on her face. "What kind of joke is that? You're a servant, therefore know your place. I'll never accept you as my equal. Not in a million years."

Seiran went very still. His blue eyes were glittering with rage. He gritted his teeth. A resolution had sank down to him, clear as day. "But perhaps you'll accept me in your next life," he growled. He lurched forward, his hands tight around her supple throat.

"Seiran!"

Inuyasha rose inside the tub, his ears perking in attention. He had been picking on his nails when he heard a scream. Here in this house? It was probably none of his business, wasn't it? Eventually, good sense won him over and he decided to move his butt to do a little investigating. Counting to three, he kicked his foot hard against the tub, breaking the shackles binding him easily.

"Ewww, my skin is all wrinkly..." He gingerly waded out from the tub, stood straight up and stretched his back, letting a loud roar as he did so. Then, still naked and dripping with ginger water, he trotted outside the room, searching for the source of the scream.

It didn't take him very long. He saw Seiran sitting on Okuni while strangling her on the floor, the vile woman kicking violently under his weight.

"Yep, definitely not my business," he said. He went to explore the other parts of the house, finding his clothes. Then he stood near the fire to dry himself a bit. A large dragon head was mounted on the wall, above the fireplace. It was frozen in a fearsome snarl, perhaps the only expression it knew in life, and then, in death. After studying it for a minute, Inuyasha ascertained he liked it very much.

He could still hear them struggling and cursing in the room when he left the lodge. He wasn't sure who was trying to kill whom now–it sounded like Okuni had gotten a better hold on Seiran and flipped the situation literally. What they were fighting about, he couldn't care less. He just wished they had done this sooner. For hell's sake, he was stuck in that tub for a whole week. He glanced at his hand. His skin looked like he had aged a hundred years.

Shaking his head, Inuyasha made his way home. Home was subjective, of course. What he meant was, back to the others. He walked down a long empty road, taking his time. The low-lying mountains spread out to his far right and left, faintly outlined in the night.

He remembered something his mother once told him, while patting him to sleep one night, and she had told him a lot of things. That everything happens for a reason, was one of them. "Oh mother," he said, laughing bitterly to himself. "I bet you couldn't tell me now why all of this happened."

He looked down at the dragon head tucked under his arm, the one he had pulled from the wall. Even in the dark, it looked impressive, its dead yellow eyes gleaming. Maybe this was it, he thought. Maybe all of this happened so he could get this cool dragon head.

"Oh well. _Shine bright like a diamond!_ "

There was a loud whoosh in the sky. Inuyasha jerked his head up, and saw a long white trail of cloud that followed after the sound, towards his opposite direction. Before he could register anything in his mind, he heard a shout further ahead of him. Squinting with his mouth agape, he watched as Kirara did a nose-dive from above.

"Inuyasha!" came Kagome's familiar cry. A hand thrusted above him. He grabbed it quickly, and was hoisted onto Kirara as she swooped down, then back up, but in the process, dropped the dragon head. He watched as it fell a hundred feet down. He didn't know what to feel anymore.

"Inuyasha, thank goodness!" Kagome was hugging him tightly now, crying even.

"We got your sword!" Sango said, tossing it to him.

Inuyasha's head was swimming in confusion as he met his friends' happy faces, but it didn't stop a smile from etching on his own.

"You guys managed to come all the way here to find me?" he asked in disbelief. He wished Kagome would stop crying because now, he wanted to cry too.

"We kinda had help," Shippo said. "By the way, why are you so stinky?" He pinched his nose, making a face.

Just then Inuyasha spotted something else in the sky behind them, and he realized with a huge dismay that it was Ah-Un, with Rin and Jaken. But where was... Then it hit him. That whoosh with the cloudy trail was none other than...

"Dammit, Sesshoumaru is going to where Okuni is!"

"Oh no wonder," Miroku said. "I thought it was strange that he didn't stop when he saw you. In that case, let's all follow suit."

And they all zipped through the night sky towards the Demon-child Eater's lodge, before Inuyasha could say anything.

"Waaaaaait!" he screamed. "I don't wanna go back in thereeee!"

 ** _To be continued!_**


	14. The Demon General of Edo

**The Demon General of Edo**

If there was a village that loved and celebrated winter as one would with spring or summer, then it had to be this village. Somewhere south-east of Edo, the snow was kinder, powder-soft and gentle on the feet.

The saga of Okuni had long disappeared on their minds. A few nights ago when they had barged through her lodge, they had found her missing, with only the limp, lifeless body of her servant in her bedroom giving any indication of what might have happened. As usual Okuni was slick, and she managed to slip past Sesshoumaru and Kagome's fingers, once again.

It was all duly forgotten however. When they arrived at the village later on, a teeming night market had greeted them at the square, kerosene lamps swinging from every food stand, the excited clamor of the villagers, swaddled in thick animal furs and coats padded with cotton. But what entranced Inuyasha and the Justice Warriors the most was the smell of hot, savoury stews. After wandering for days through treacherous snow, this was akin to chancing upon a mirage in the middle of a white desert.

They gorged themselves with food, and bought new furs and scarves with ryo earned from petty errands throughout their travels. Kagome spotted a _yatai_ stand, selling _oden_ , and she went on a gluttonous spree, picking the likes of eggs, radish, fishcake, pierced through wooden sticks and dripping with soy-sauce broth.

She gave each one to her friends. Inuyasha winced in disgust when she handed him a stick of boiled tofu, and his expression stayed there as he watched her do the same to the pompous prick and his pack, hanging about fatuously at the edge of the village square. For some reason Sesshoumaru had gotten squid.

He cursed and threw his stick vehemently on the ground, then hid himself behind Miroku and the others, who were enjoying their sticks of hot potato and whatnot.

"Why the hell is Kagome so chummy with Sesshoumaru suddenly?" he complained. "Did something happened while I was gone?"

The Justice Warriors almost dropped their food. They quietly exchanged glances.

Sango elbowed him playfully. "What do you mean Inuyasha? Your mind must be playing creative tricks!"

Miroku chortled. "Looks like all that _onion_ did a number on you."

"You must be nuts to even doubt her," Shippo said. "Did you know Kagome-chan actually performed a _misogi_ ritual under the freezing waterfall, just so she locate Tesseiga's whereabouts? I wouldn't even _think_ twice about doing it! Talk about dedication!" For sure Shippo was the truest among her friends.

A small, awkward snigger came to him. "She did, didn't she?" Inuyasha said. Then he wandered around the village, until he saw her sitting on a bamboo bench, away from the boisterous crowd.

He landed quietly beside her.

"Se-!" Kagome started, her face lighting up when she turned. Then she saw that it was just him, and she went, "Oh." Inuyasha hoped that it was really his imagination, that she had looked slightly disappointed.

Inuyasha cleared his throat. He folded his arms, feigning disinterest. "The others told me about what you did, to find Tesseiga and all. And..."

"You're welcome," Kagome replied, while gobbling through her snacks.

"Huh?" Inuyasha went in confusion.

"You wanted to thank me, didn't you?"

He looked at her, then grimaced hard. His hand suddenly gripped on hers on the bench.

"Listen," he said, his voice low and steady. "I want you to know that... I just think it wasn't fair that you had to go through all that for my sake. I mean, I wasn't really in danger. I was just buying my time, you know. Beside Okuni was all over me and..."

Kagome snorted and pulled away her hand. "Why am I not surprised? You have a thing for mature women, don't you?" She looked at him through stilted eyes as if he was a disgusting creature. " _You cougar hunter._ "

Inuyasha shot right up. "Why are you _sulking_? I just complimented you! And what the hell is a cougar?!"

"I'm not sulking, I'm just eating a really sour pickled plum."

Inuyasha sighed frustratedly. Kagome was surprisingly cool, almost indifferent, while he was shooting off his words as usual. He told himself to calm down and sat back heavily.

"Our fight with Naraku is coming to a close," he said. "I can sense it, that the end is near."

Kagome eyed him from the corner of her eye, still munching on her plums. Why was he so serious suddenly?

He continued. "So many things have happened, and... After everything is over, I hope you still..."

His hand was creeping towards hers again. It was just too much.

"Osuwari!" she screamed, red in the face. The bench split and broke in half, as the poor hanyou was smashed into the deepest of hard ice. "Why the hell are you being sappy all of a sudden?!"

To no one's surprise, the pair were not on speaking terms to each other over the course of the next few days. Of course the ones to bear the brunt were their comrades, who had to listen to Inuyasha's prattling every day.

Whereas Kagome, who seemed to be undaunted by everything, had found a new trekking partner, someone to wear her shoes out with.

By then the ice had melted beneath their feet, and the sleeping flower buds were waiting for spring's call to bloom, and it would be anytime soon.

"I don't understand!"

Inuyasha was tearing his hair out. It came in silver bunches in his hand. He really was distressed, and no one knew what to do or say to him. They could only look at him wistfully from afar and think, "There goes the poor _hanyou_."

"Why is he still here?!" he spat, referring to Sesshoumaru's group behind him, tailing them closely. To make matters worse, Kagome, the ever friendly Energizer bunny, had decided to join their group for a little chit-chat, and at first it was for a few minutes, then it dragged to hours and _days_ and oh, it was just agonizing to watch...

"I don't know, they're still at loggerheads over the actual score," Sango laughed uneasily.

"You know how hung up your brother can be on certain things," Miroku said. "Seems like he'll be stuck with us for gods knows how long!"

"How are you guys talking this so lightly?!" Inuyasha snapped. Shippo, with more sense in him, kept his mouth shut.

Kagome clapped her hands together, a jaunty smile on her face as she spoke beside the Daiyoukai Lord of the West. Their legs strode together at the same pace and energy. Yes, she had found a new trekking partner in him, someone to will the time away as they treaded over the thawing undergrowth and slippery roots.

"So what happens in a democratic society is that we have elections, and the citizens vote for the leader from a panel of candidates."

Her eyes brightened as she related this strange concept to him. Sesshoumaru pondered for moment. "And these candidates are chosen by the people?" he ventured.

"Well, anyone can contest but they must be approved by the government."

"Go on."

"Right. So now our ruling party in Japan is the LDP, and our prime minister is Junichiro Koizumi..."

"So they're talking about politics now?!" Inuyasha sputtered. "Someone needs to show him there can only be one alpha here!" His comrades had to use all strength to pull him down before he tried anything brash.

There was a subtle, but sudden shift in the air. It was in the soft breeze that signalled the end of winter and the arrival of spring. And also, an unfamiliar tinge of _youki_.

Everyone stiffened. Then they all heard it. A series of big, heavy footsteps approaching the clearing, where tall horsetail grass grew in abandon. And a bit of singing.

" _You are the dancing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen..."_

Kagome especially froze.

The grass hid its body well, but Kagome could see its monstrous head that beheld a large pair of horns like a great stag, its face sharply chiselled. Its red skin was glossy, shining too brightly in the sun, without a hint of expression on its face.

It was a helmet. The _youkai_ moved, and removed it slowly from his head.

Waves of dark hair spilled onto his shoulders. His face was slightly rugged with age, but easily one of the most handsome ones she'd seen. He only had one eye, the other covered with an eyepatch, but what an eye it was, bright, burning like an amber coal.

He moved forward, his impressive armour cutting a large figure through the tall grass. Every layer of his clothing was metal-plated, leather-bound, hard-lacquered. With each step, his powerful aura increased in intensity, swirling, mingling with everyone else's.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha broke into a defensive stance in reflex, hands ready on their sword sheaths.

A low chuckle emanated from the _youkai_. The corner of his eye crinkled, as he regarded the two half-brothers before him.

"Hmm, is this right?" he said loudly to himself, sounding amused. His gaze slowly landed on Inuyasha. "I came here to find Sesshoumaru but fancy seeing _you_ too here."

He grinned as though he had just heard a bad joke. 'To see both of Inutaisho's sons together, without one of them at least half-dead. This will make an excellent observation indeed." He produced a small paperpad from nowhere and began to jot down his notes. Then he looked up again, his tone no longer as merry. "Loosen up your shoulders, boys. I'm not here to eat anyone."

Kagome finally found her voice again. Her breath had been caught in her throat, mesmerized by this interesting stranger. She ran forward, calling out to him, to everyone's shock.

"Sir! I just heard you sing! Could you do it once again, please?"

He looked up sharply to her, then swiped away the grass to grasp a better look." Girl," he said appraisingly, "is that a sailor school uniform?"

Kagome squealed with delight, much to Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's further astonishment.

"Which era do you hail you from?" the _youkai_ questioned.

"The early 2000s!"

"Interesting, I've only seen furthest to the 80s."

Kagome's eyes sparkled like stars. "Senpai!" she cried. Everyone looked at her in confusion. What the hell was she talking about?

Inuyasha, who had no clue what was going on, except that he wasn't going to let Kagome near _him_ , finally spurred into action. He leapt into the space between her and the youkai.

"Kagome, get away from him." Inuyasha glared. "He's that creepy uncle who used to visit my mom."

Sesshoumaru took a step forward, a hard frown on his face. He didn't look pleased one bit.

"General Aokimaru," he enunciated every syllable of the name with distaste. "Something tells me our meeting is not a mere coincidence."

Aokimaru grinned back white teeth. "Nothing is ever a coincidence, my dear nephew."

"I suppose Totosai sent you my word."

"Yes. And I gather the rumours were true." His lone eye roved over Kagome appreciatively. "You do have a female mortal under your ward. A cute one at that." The general winked and Kagome's heart fluttered.

"Um, wouldn't that be me?" Rin piped from the back, forgotten with the rest.

"We're just side characters, Rin," Jaken sighed.

"Ah, and I can see that she wields the powers of time-travel, just like me," Aokimaru continued. "In my case however I'm only an invisible spectator, who watches for sport."

Kagome thought she heard Sesshoumaru sneer. Then he moved to stand before her, and now she had two guys blocking her path.

It was puzzling, the hostility displayed by the brothers towards him. After all they were family, they _should_ be receiving him with open arms. And then it dawned on Aokimaru what was happening. He started to laugh— at first it was a chuckle, then it dragged to a loud and deep roaring from his chest. The Justice Warriors eyed each other warily.

"Is it me or are the both of you vying for the same girl?" He chuckled again as he reminisced an old time. "You know, this does bring memories when Inutaisho and I fought for Izayoi's hand. Well, it was a fair fight."

"Does it have anything to do with that eyepatch?" Kagome asked.

Aokimaru smiled. "You're not only easy on the eyes, you're _smart_.

Everyone at the back rolled their eyes. _Anyone would have figured that out,_ they thought.

The two groups mumbled restlessly as they set up their base. Aokimaru had insisted that they prepare for the approaching evening and he had a persuasive tongue indeed, for even Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha relented, albeit grudgingly. The men helped to build a fire while the women prepared some simple soup. Two brightly-colored camping tents flapped in the night, courtesy of Kagome, but only the humans and lesser youkai slept inside.

Aokimaru sat on a dead log, sprinkling tobacco in a _kiseru_ pipe, as a great bonfire crackled before him. His fearsome helm laid dutifully beside him.

"Sesshoumaru, you're interested to know, aren't you? The practice of keeping human concubines within the Taisho lineage."

Inuyasha, standing guard at a nearby tree, shifted. "You mean my mother wasn't the only one?"

"Yes, if you looked hard enough, you'll be able to find long-distance cousins just like you, Inuyasha." He inhaled his pipe, his eye squinting as he did so. A pungent smell blew out from his lips and Inuyasha coughed. "It's not just a whimsical move by any means. It was all carefully thought of."

Sesshoumaru sneered, sitting quietly under a tree at the corner. He seemed to sneer every time Aokimaru spoke. It was evident he didn't like his uncle very much, like his half-brother.

"But seeing this is a rather controversial subject, I'll choose another time to spill on it," the general remarked.

Kagome's head popped out from her tent. "Senpai, tell us more of your time-travelling stories!"

Aokimaru chuckled then stood up, dusting his thighs. He tucked his helm under his arm.

"Well, gentlemen. We'll need more than a day to reconcile our old times, but before that I'll like to have a private chit-chat with the young mademoiselle."

He walked over to her tent. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha watched, with the latter sputtering, as Kagome took his hand. They skipped gaily into the dark forest.

"What is there to talk about with Kagome-chan?" Sango wondered aloud.

Inuyasha growled. "Hey Sesshoumaru, do you think it's wise to just let them alone?"

"Don't let the general fool you. He may appear good-natured, but with him there's always more to it than meets the eye," Sesshoumaru said.

" _The_ eye," Rin said. "Pun intended?"

"Hush, Rin."

"Anyway, it is not my business who the lass is with," Sesshoumaru added, turning away.

"Then why are you pouting so hard, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Rin!"

"Okay, okay."

The night sky was littered with stars, the spring moon alight and well-rounded. Kagome gaped at the large general walking beside her, happily smoking his pipe.

"Are you really Inuyasha's uncle?" Kagome asked. "I've never met a family member of his, besides Sesshoumaru."

"I'm not just his uncle. By designation, I am General Aokimaru and I control the demon army of Edo. I fought alongside with their father for centuries, against the most abominable creatures you cannot even imagine. But enough about me. What did you say your name was?"

"Kagome," she said. "Kagome Higurashi from Tokyo. It's a long story, but I kinda stumbled upon this world by mistake—"

"It wasn't a mistake," Aokimaru cut her. "Don't think so lowly of yourself. You were brought in here for a reason."

Kagome kept walking. She didn't know what to say.

"I've never seen your era, but I know enough about what happens to our kind. That we will cease to exist in a matter of three hundred years. That is not enough time. I'm here to ensure that we don't repeat the same mistakes."

"The same mistakes?"

"Our arrogance blinds us," he said with a grimace. "We need to be thrown from our white horses. And I unfortunately, have been kicked from and stomped on by my own. I've seen everything to know what not to do. So now it's time to act what should be done."

"I don't understand," Kagome replied quietly. When she accepted the general's offer for a night walk, she didn't think the topic would steer to such an intense direction.

He stopped and turned to her. He was tall and his face was dark, overshadowed by the sky.

"Kagome, do you care about what happens to us? Us meaning my kind, the _bakemono_ kind."

Kagome nodded.

"Then would you like to help us? With disposable information about the future at your fingertips, you would make an interesting addition to our army."

"H-hold on," Kagome said. She felt cold spots rise behind her neck. This definitely wasn't what she signed up for! "This is a bit too ambitious for me. What exactly is your plan, General Aokimaru?"

Aokimaru smiled and looked up to the large moon, that beheld his high aspirations.

"My plan is simple. I'd like to build an army of half-demons. One that would march into our future."

Kagome's jaw dropped. Suddenly Aokimaru didn't appear as the interesting, charismatic general she thought he was, but one with a darker agenda.

An army of half-demons, like Inuyasha? Was that wise? And lastly, she wondered what Sesshoumaru would think.

 _To be continued!_

 **A/N: I'm basing the timeline of Inuyasha is in the early 2000s instead of the 90s in the manga, hence why Junichiro Koizumi is Japan's PM.**


	15. Resistance is Futile

**Resistance Is Futile**

 _"Ooohhh see that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen...!"_

Their singing session finally ended when Aokimaru called it quits. There was a collective sigh of relief from Inuyasha and the others when the general hoisted his great helm and fixed it over his head.

"Well, it has been an eventful two days here, but I'm afraid I must go," Aokimaru said sadly. "Kagome Higurashi, I will especially miss you the most."

Inuyasha jerked forward, only to be restrained back by Miroku's staff.

"And Sesshoumaru," Aokimaru continued, turning to the daiyoukai hiding behind a tree, "I hope you've been enlightened by my speech of why pro-humanism is the way to go."

"I've never heard a more baffling set of ideas," Sesshoumaru replied, picking on his claws. "You have been truly misguided."

Rin pulled on his sleeve beside him. "What did he exactly say, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"You're too young to know."

"Aww, I wish you didn't have to go so soon, Aokimaru-senpai," Kagome sighed. "Let's sing more songs when we meet again next time."

"All is good, but I hope you don't forget our important conversation last night. If you do make a decision, send your reply through the wind. They'll reach me. With that, I bid all of you _adieu_.""

Aokimaru waved at Inuyasha and grinned at him for the last time. Inuyasha simply scoffed back.

"An army of what?!" Inuyasha choked on his instant chicken ramen later, when they were all having lunch and everyone had pestered Kagome to reveal what the general referred when he left.

"Half-demons," Kagome said, nibbling on her cereal bar. "Like you, Inuyasha. He thinks the _hanyou_ are the answer to securing the future of the demonkind."

"And how does he intend you to help?" Miroku enquired with concern.

"He sees me as a library of knowledge, and he wants to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself."

Inuyasha gave a sardonic laugh, soup dribbling past his mouth. "I always knew he was a little creepy. I didn't know he had gone bonkers as well."

"You didn't agree, did you?" Sesshoumaru suddenly spoke, still poised behind his favourite tree.

"Ah," Kagome hesitated in surprise. "Of course not. I told him I needed time to think about it."

"Whether or not she agrees, what does it have to do with you?" Inuyasha barked, glaring angrily at Sesshoumaru. Why was he so nosy and butting into their conversation?

"Don't be a fool," Sesshoumaru hissed back. "If she agrees, there will be a scourge of _hanyou_ infesting this land. As if the one before me is not enough."

Inuyasha wiped his mouth, sniggering. "Too bad we're family, Sesshoumaru!"

"So perhaps it's time to cut ties, literally."

Sango and Shippo sighed as they kept the pots and cutlery from the bonfire as another fight enveloped beside them.

"There they go again," Kagome muttered. "Hey, don't wreck the tents!"

After lunch, Kagome decided to use some time to do a little revision. After all the weather seemed great for studying outdoors, and she had a science test next week.

She was not done highlighting the important formulas in her textbook when Inuyasha suddenly rushed to sit beside her. He had a swelling purple bump on his head.

Kagome recoiled in terror.

"I hope you're still not thinking over what my uncle said," he urged. "There's something wrong in his head, you know. I don't know what, but there's surely a loose screw somewhere."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I think there's something wrong with _your_ head, Inuyasha. Why don't you go back to Okuni and ask her to fix it?" She underlined a sentence in her book with a pencil so hard that the lead broke. "In other words, stop bothering me!"

Just then she heard the sound of Rin crying. It was a loud wail that went undisturbed. Quickly she scrambled from her spot to attend to her.

Kagome had yet to ask Rin when Sesshoumaru's tall shadow fell upon them. "I'm outta here," Rin then said with a straight face, going off.

"Listen to me, forget everything the general told you," Sesshoumaru said.

"For the love of the gods, you too?" Kagome glared at him.

"I know his true nature too well. He has a...human _fetish_ and you will not be the last one on his plate."

"So what? What are you gonna do about it?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, as if the truth was glaringly obvious but she just refused to see it.

"Lass, I'm now your knight in shining armour. 'Tis my job to keep you safe and well."

Kagome huffed and folded her arms indignantly. "I don't know what grills me more: the fact that you self-assert yourself as my saviour, or that you keep calling me lass."

Sesshoumaru gave it some thought. "I will stop calling you lass."

"Listen here, sir _knight_ !" she flared. "I think I know what's going on. The both of you are just jealous that General Aokimaru selected me to be at the forefront of a great masterplan! Who knew sweet little ole me would help propel the next world order!"

She further anguished at his stumped face." That! Plus you just can't accept I'm a perfectly capable young woman from the 21st century who does not need any saving! Not from you, not from Inuyasha, or anyone else!"

"Good riddance!" she screamed, snatching her books and pencil case. "What does a girl gotta do to get a little _peace_ here?!" She stomped into the woods.

Sesshoumaru looked at the rest. They were all preoccupied with their own tasks, effectively ignoring the _miko's_ meltdown. Even Inuyasha was rummaging through her backpack, shouting for a plaster.

He followed after Kagome.

"Stop stalking me!" she cried when she saw him over her shoulder.

Sesshoumaru quickened his steps, and pushed her. Her books dropped onto the ground. He pinned her against a tree and quickly silenced her cries with a hard, forceful kiss.

Kagome slapped him.

"What did you just—"

Sesshoumaru slowly soothed the stinging pain on his cheek. "Strange," he murmured, "Aokimaru said the first step towards subduing a female mortal was a passionate kiss."

"Passionate?" Kagome repeated in disbelief. "You thought I will succumb from a mere kiss? I'm better than that, Sesshoumaru."

"Is that a challenge?" he asked her in a steely voice. He neared her face. Kagome turned, trying to hide the traitorous shudder running through her body. "Perhaps we should continue where we left off at the shack."

"No," Kagome said, closing her eyes tight. And yet part of her wanted him to drag her out from this maddening game and claim her as his.

"It's just a kiss, isn't it?" Sesshoumaru said, a teasing smile drawing on his face. "You should be able to resist this, Kagome."

He had called her by her first name. Her heart responded, pounding hard. "It still doesn't mean anything," she whispered tightly back at him.

He stole her voice when his lips sought for hers. Kagome had expected him to crush her like he did just now, but Sesshoumaru was evidently a fast learner.

His second kiss was slow and lingering, tender. Kagome fought against her will to just not _melt_.

"Nothing's changing," she whimpered, as he coaxed relentlessly for her lips to reciprocate, which she did breathlessly, "The score is still the same."

 _I care less about the score, than I care about you_ , he wanted to tell her. His pride would kill him first if he ever admitted it. He was only left to entertain the foolish hope that his kiss would convey it to her.

"Kagome!" They both jolted when they heard someone shouting for her in the woods. It was Inuyasha. "Where are you? I need my plaster!"

Kagome finally snapped out from whatever dangerous spell Sesshoumaru had bewitched on her. She pushed him away and gathered down to collect her books scattering on the ground.

"I got to go now," she said hurriedly. Then she cast him a warning look. "And nothing happened between us just now."

She ran out of the woods, answering Inuyasha's call. Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth as he watched the both of them reunite, his fist gripping in a quiet rage.

He would find a way to break them apart. 

_To be continued!_

**[Credits: Dancing Queen as performed by Abba, lyrics written by Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K. Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson]**


	16. Modus Operandi

**A/N: Big thanks to Lady Agnimitra who inspired me to continue this fic and also for offering to be my beta! 3**

 **This will be a crack chapter, before the plot thickens! (what plot?)**

 **Modus Operandi**

Sesshoumaru read the small business card offered to him. His eyes carefully assessed the hybrid _youkai_ leaning against the tree, a twig sticking from his mouth. And what was he? A beaver-chihuahua? A snake-alpaca? Wait, with that beak he had to be a kangaroo-platypus for sure. Sesshoumaru shook his head. _Demons_ these days.

He read the card again.

Goemon (my friends call me Mon)  
Professional Hitman

Goemon (aka Mon) spat out the twig from his mouth. "Two grand for the head. One grand to be tied and kicking." He ticked his prices off his fingers like a list. "One grand and a half to be tied and sedated with poisonous mushrooms."

"What's with the extra half for the last one?"

"Mushrooms are expensive now. I need at least a 20% profit margin."

Sesshoumaru slipped his card somewhere. "It will be a missed assassination plot, which will prove to be her undoing. I will leave the modus operandi to you." He stated his request, emphasising on the word "missed", and added an important postscript, "I just do not wish to soil my noble fingers for something so petty."

Goemon hung his jaw. "So what is it? An assassination or an undoing?"

"It's the same intent."

"No, no. An assassination is more, how do I say, elaborate? Like she has to be in a carriage waving to her crowd of loyal followers and before she knows it, there's a red dot on her forehead..."

"I just want you to put her in a vulnerable position which I can exploit!"

Goemon snapped his fingers at him. "Right, so it's an 'undoing'. That would cost you a thousand ryo then." He sneaked close to Sesshoumaru and whispered. "Just between the both of us, were you friend-zoned?"

Sesshoumaru turned to hide the convoluted emotions running on his face. Goemon put an empathetic hand on his shoulder. "It's alright. We have a support clan for us fallen brothers every Thursday in case you're interested." He remembered something. "Oh yes. Do you have a picture of her for my reference?"

Sesshoumaru passed him a small photograph. "Do not let her looks fool you," he said, seeing the incredulous shock on Goemon's face. "She is highly dexterous and her slippery ways are second to none."

Goemon wiped his sweaty forehead as he regarded the photo. "Yes, I don't doubt on the slippery part. But are you sure she's the one?"

"I have never been more sure in my life. _'If there's somebooody calling me onnn, she's the oneee…_ '"

Goemon flashed him the picture. " _This_ one?"

It was a picture of Jaken frolicking nude at the beach.

Sesshoumaru snatched it back, promptly handing the right picture. "Must have slipped from my collection," he rushed under his breath.

Goemon nodded when he finally saw Kagome's portrait. "I understand. Her resplendent bosom alone makes me want to embark on a mating spree."

"Watch your words, crossbreed. But I fully agree."

The contract was sealed through a gentleman's handshake. Goemon walked away, shaking his gold pouch then snickered to himself.

"Has he gone mad?" he wondered aloud. "She's just a puny wench! I should use this to my business advantage." He flicked out another card in the air. "Presenting… The "Outsource" card!"

He rubbed his hands together as he devised his shrewd plan. "Not only will I save the trouble by paying someone else to do it, I will even pocket a few coins for myself! Huehuehue."

"Why?" Sesshoumaru questioned as he stalked Kagome along her travels, as stealthily as a black panther or as desperate as a jilted lover, depending on your perspective.

He was there up in the trees, his watchful eyes observing when she read a copy of George Orwell's Animal Farm whilst picking her nose. He was there submerged in the waters while she washed her laundry by the river bank, quietly easing her inflatulence-ridden stomach (she had Taco Bell for lunch).

"Why hasn't anything happened yet?" It was almost a week and nothing had befell Kagome. Sesshoumaru was raring, his body _itching_ to rescue her at the drop of a hat. But how could he when no opportunity arose? He was growing heavily impatient day by day.

He found himself staring dubiously at Goemon's card.

"Are you the killing perfection? Nyaaan!~" A soft voice called from behind.

Sesshoumaru whirled around. A ninja in full gear was squatting on his haunches before him. He had a pair of fluffy cat ears sprouting from his mask. A cat ninja. Cute.

"Yes," Sesshoumaru replied. Then he replied again, pirouetting in glory this time. "Yes, I am that and more. I am the omnipotent, I am the undefeatable..."

"Right," the cute cat ninja said, licking his hands. "I have an exciting, dangerous proposal for you. For just 100 coins, all you need to do is scare this little chump." He produced a familiar portrait of a girl with a resplendent bosom.

He further elaborated. "This pretty mortal allegedly won the heart of a reputable demon lord...but their parents disapproved of their _scandalous_ marriage, and now her mother-in-law has ordered for her to be done away with. It's just like the plot of a telenovela. Nyaaan!~ It's the perfect task for you!"

"100 coins!?" Sesshoumaru bellowed. The birds roosting in the trees all scurried away.

That charlatan Goemon pushed the job for one-tenth of the price he paid?! And this clueless skanky roof cat approached him without knowing _he_ was the original client... And how was his mother suddenly dragged into this fiasco?!

"Did you receive this job from Goemon?" Sesshoumaru growled.

"Uhhh no. Actually Hotaru my next-door neighbour offered the job for 150 coins. But I'm going off for my honeymoon soon, plus I'm tryna make some extra buck for my holiday, nyaaan!~"

Sesshoumaru met Hotaru, and then the person before him. It turned out there were at least five people outsourcing to one after the other. Goemon the hybrid kangaroo-platypus hitman was found dead the next day.

Sesshoumaru clicked his tongue as he massaged his temples. "Looks like you can't even trust your own kind to do a simple job."

He turned to Rin and Jaken playing checkers on a tree stump. The orphan was cheating and the toad didn't even know it.

"Am I that desperate?" he asked himself. "Yes I am."

His long and dark shadow threw across the game board.

"Rin, Jaken. I'm giving you a rare valuable opportunity to prove your allegiance to me." There was a thunderstorm brewing on his face—the face of a wicked mastermind. "All you need to do is to scatter a few traps for Kagome and snare her."

Rin lifted an eyebrow. "At this point I'm not even going to ask why, but are we even getting paid for this?" She looked in disbelief at Jaken. "I mean, gathering materials to make traps and constructing them at assorted places all require tedious planning, don't you agree Jaken-sama?"

Jaken shrugged. "I'm just satisfied being a bootlicker." He licked a game counter while maintaining eye contact with his lord, which was quite unnecessary, really.

Sesshoumaru was disappointed. "I'm appalled by your calculative mentality, Rin. Does my compassion thus far not hold any value to you? Also, stop jabbing on that calculator."

Rin too was disappointed. "Well yeah, but it's the 16th century and everyone knows money makes the world go round..."

"Guys, look!" Kagome squealed one fine day. She pointed to the ground and all her friends huddled together on their knees. There was a strange object in the grass—a sharp, mouth-like contraption lying about quite randomly.

"It's the cutest DIY bear trap I've ever seen!" Sango gushed.

"It even has flowers and gluten-free granola bars as bait!" Shippo observed.

"How detail-oriented," Miroku remarked.

"Seriously guys, it's just pathetic," Inuyasha scoffed at the back.

Rin and Jaken watched the scene safely in the bushes, all set with their hunting hats and binoculars. "It's not a bear trap!" Rin anguished. "It's a Kagome trap!"

Kagome giggled. "Oh if I was a bear I would happily _step_ on it!"

The group walked away, laughing.

Jaken shot Rin a look. "You said the granola bars would work! Did you have any idea the lengths I went through to get them?"

Rin thought hard. "Maybe it's the wrong flavour."

On another spring day, Jaken found himself in a drag ensemble as a disguise, as he waded into a murky pit. Mud splattered on his yellow sequined dress. "Sesshoumaru-sama better love me after this," he muttered.

Awhile later, Inuyasha's group passed him. "Help me!" Jaken screamed in a falsetto voice, flinging his hands in panic. "I'm stuck in this quicksand! Only a fair damsel could pull me out of this sinkhole!"

"Yes," he schemed quietly, "grab my hand, and I shall grab you under!"

Kagome stopped right before the pit. "Guys, this scenery is gorgeous! Let's all take a selfie!" The group gathered in their poses for the phone. A merry image containing their happy smiles was captured, with Jaken clearly thrashing in the background.

They walked away, laughing.

"She completely ignored me!" Jaken squawked.

"Behold, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin announced with dramatic gusto the next day. She whipped off the cloth covering her latest invention. "My final trap. We've run tests to ensure its full capability! Data-driven! Statistical-based! It's the perfect engineering feat!"

She flung her white lab coat and it landed on Sesshoumaru's face under the tree. He snapped rudely from his sleep.

"It's just a tripping wire, Rin," he mumbled.

"Don't diss my efforts!"

The next day the Ultimate Trip Wire™ was secured in place. Everyone was stationed at their proper posts.

"Any second now. She's going to run by this path," Rin observed beside Sesshoumaru. She was posing as a magnolia bush while he enacted the role of a sleeping willow. Rin pressed on her walkie-talkie. "Jaken-sama, has she started arguing with Inuyasha yet? Over."

"What did you do?" Sesshoumaru eyed her curiously.

Jaken's static voice appeared in the air. "Yes, Kagome has discovered Inuyasha's secret stash. Over."

Sesshoumaru shut his eyes tightly. "I'm going to pretend I didn't understand that."

Right on cue, the sound of Kagome's footsteps thumped into the clearing, approaching them.

"You're so gross, Inuyashaaaa!" she wailed in her characteristic high-pitched voice.

Rin gasped and slipped on her protective goggles. "And she's off! Anticipating target in 3,2,1..."

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome appeared in a slow-motioned dreamlike sequence, a fantastical creature fluttering in like a helpless bird, her foot catching by the wire…and how she instantaneously tripped, falling gracefully like a soft, downy feather...

 _It's just like the first time_ , Sesshoumaru held his breath, feeling the precious magic of the moment. _When she slipped over the rocks at the hot spring. I shall catch her right before she falls! My Little Miss Damsel in distress!_

Sesshoumaru flew out from his camouflage towards Kagome. He tripped over the wire at the same time, and they both crashed on their faces in one synchronised fall.

It was foolish. It was preposterous. But oh, the sweet pain. Today he comprehended the word _romantic_.

Kagome lifted her head, groaning in agony. She blinked at Sesshoumaru beside her.

"I don't understand," he murmured, his mouth full of sand. Kagome did, and how she snorted with laughter.

Rin pumped her fists in the air. "Double combo! Woohoo! All those sleepless nights were not in vain after all."

Jaken came and squinted at her. "You do realise we _failed_."

Kagome placed a band-aid on his nose while he did one on her knee.

"Why don't you just call it quits, Sesshoumaru?" She pulled out a few grains of sand from his long eyelashes.

Sesshoumaru grit his teeth, removing the dead leaves from her matted hair one by one. "No. The deep seas will run dry, and the sun might lose its shine, but this Sesshoumaru will never give up on you."

She noticed the pain marring his perfect face, but it wasn't from a physical wound. Kagome peered at him with different eyes, her own cheeks stained red.

"For a moment there, I thought that was a declaration of love," she said, to which Sesshoumaru abruptly turned his face away. "It is, isn't it? You just confessed to me!"

"Fool! I was merely trying to illustrate my persistence in proving your folly! Never in seven hells would I..."

Rin and Jaken tugged on their sputtering lord's fluffy pelt, forcing him to turn heel. "Come Sesshoumaru-sama, let's go home before you shoot yourself in your foot."

Kagome folded her arms angrily and stomped her foot as they left. "Stupid," she said. "If he really confessed, I would have dissolved the scoreboard right away. But since he wants to keep playing like this, we'll just see how long the game drags."

She remembered the amorous kiss they had shared, and she touched her lips gingerly, still tingling from his passion. It was like a dream. It _was_ passion, she was sure of it. There was something in him for her.

Sighing, she decided to walk back to her campsite.

"I swear, I'm surrounded by idiots," she grumbled.

 _To be continued!_

 _Song credits: "She's The One" by Robbie Williams, lyrics written by K. Wallinger_


	17. Recruiting: Hanyou Soliders Wanted!

**Recruiting: Hanyou Soldiers Wanted!**

One day during another fruitless search to weed out Naraku from his many rabbit holes, and it was really just _one day_ , Inuyasha and the Justice Warriors (sans Kagome) spotted something interesting while passing the outskirts of a village.

"Inuyasha, look," Miroku gestured with his staff. "There seems to be a large congregation ahead. I'm curious. What say we poke our noses in like the concerned citizens we are?"

"If this is another filler chapter, I'm out," Inuyasha said simply.

The _hanyou_ yelped when his friends tugged him along and rushed into the crowd.

There was an interesting ensemble of heads gathering. Surprisingly they included a small group of domesticated _youkai,_ although they shied away from the main crowd of humans.

One of the speakers addressing the crowd, a _samurai_ actually, was whipping out flyers to everyone while his partner (a ninja?) stood on a wooden crate, calling with enthusiasm. It was hard to pick out his words from the noisy throng of people, especially when his voice was all squeaky and high-pitched.

Inuyasha's perky ears swivelled like satellite dishes.

"…gathering all _hanyou_ under the sun!" The ninja squealed. "Come join our imperial army! We have free cakes to give! Nyaaan!~"

"Guys, I got a hold of a flyer!" Sango said, wagging hers with the excitement of an auntie who had gotten a shopping discount. They read the flyer quickly except for Inuyasha who stood rock-still, his face looking ill.

"I can't believe it," Miroku said. "It's a recruitment exercise to build a _hanyou_ army. Even says here in capital letters: "LET US PREPARE FOR THE NEW WORLD ORDER."

"I like how subtle they are," Sango quipped.

"The whole get-up sounds kinda familiar, doesn't it?" Shippo rubbed his little chin, and Kirara mewed in agreement.

"Freakin' hell, that Aokimaru," Inuyasha bellowed at last, connecting the dots together. He remembered how the Demon General of Edo had visited them some time ago and tried to convert them with his disturbing ideologies. _A future of hanyous_ , he had told Kagome. "I can't believe he made his move already, collecting pawns for his ridiculous plan."

"It says here that interested parties should come to this venue on this date…" Miroku read further. "…whereupon a select few will be chosen to stand proudly as a prestigious soldier of the Imperial Hanyou Army. Free cakes are on a first-come-first-serve basis."

Shippo hopped onto his shoulder. "Gosh this smells like a new adventure _,_ guys! Let's go check them out!"

"Um, shouldn't we wait for Kagome first?" Sango said. "I'm sure she'll be very interested in this. After all General Aokimaru did personally share his dream with her…"

Inuyasha's jaw hung. "Wait, you guys are pulling my leg, right? You actually want to see how this works out? This whole _hanyou_ army catastrophe?"

Miroku adopted his shining priestly visage, usually reserved for women and con victims. "Why not, Inuyasha? This will be the most fun we'll have in ages. Especially with Naraku taking a long break right now. To be honest I'm starting to worry about him..."

"Ah I can't wait!" Sango gushed. "I wish Kagome finishes her exam soon so she can join us in our new adventure!"

"It's not an adventure you idiots!" Inuyasha yelled, waving his fist.

* * *

Meanwhile in a strange dream-world, where it is perpetually spring and the air is always sweet and _sakura_ petals drizzle like rain, two unlikely people are getting it on…

[Cue the sound of music in a forest setting. Specifically, Britney Spears' "Toxic".]

The screechy violins play.

Kagome sashays and pirouettes barefoot around the trees. Her face glances behind her shoulder and her long ebony tresses spring with a seductive toss of her head ("seductive" is strictly subjective to the viewer).

 _"_ _Baby, can't you see… I'm calling, a guy like youuu should wear a warninggg… It's dangerous, I'm falling..."_

Her hand lingers in a tease as she slips slowly behind a sakura tree, curling around its trunk.

A princely figure appears to pursue her. He lurks in a predatory gait; the Dangerous Guy in song whose name does not need any mention. A confident smirk plays on his luscious lips as he stalks his prey ("luscious" is also subjective).

Sesshoumaru closes the distance between them behind the tree. But aha, she is not one easy fish to be hooked. She climbs up and hides her pretty face among the branches, coquettish, sly.

 _"_ _Too high, can't come down…Losin' my head, spinnin' 'round and 'round… Do you feel me now?"_

But he is slicker than her. He dashes up the tree (yes dashes) and manages to clasp her dainty hand. Gasping, at the thought of their little game over, Kagome pulls away and they both lose their balance and fall down. Their bodies roll on the ground like logs down a grassy slope, because they can.

When Kagome opens her eyes Sesshoumaru is leaning above her, their noses a thread's breadth. His silky hair spills around her face, a pearly veil against the world. Sesshoumaru's golden eyes are devilish yet come-hither; his wicked intentions renders her body in a toe-curling blush.

His (luscious) lips come closer…

 _"_ _Oh the taste of your lips, I'm on a rideee…You're toxic, I'm slippin' under._

 _With a taste of a poison paradise… I'm addicted to you, don't you know that you're—"_

Her school bell rang.

Kagome woke up with a loud and confused "huh?". She registered her surroundings in a rude shock. She was in class and Eri and Ayumi were sending her weird looks from their tables.

"Okay, time's up," her teacher hollered. Kagome stared at her own table in panic, her half-completed English essay staring back at her.

The little _miko_ had slept through her paper.

"AIEEEEEEE!"

* * *

When Kagome arrived from the well Shippo sprung forward to nuzzle her cheek like the baby fox he was. "Kagome-chan, why do you look so down?"

Inuyasha merely smirked beside her. "She looks down everytime she returns from her exam period. It's a given."

Kagome sighed. Inuyasha was being brash as usual but he also knew her too well. "I think I'm gonna fail my final year," she hopelessly fretted. "I should seriously start considering a career here instead…"

Sango smiled and hugged her. "Anyway, all of us have been waiting anxiously for you!"

Kagome went all coy. ""Aww really? That's so sweet, guys! I miss you all too!"

Miroku chuckled. "Well that's that, but there's also this." He flashed her the flyer. "Any idea who may be behind this?"

Kagome clutched the paper, wide-eyed. She gasped. " _Hanyou_ army? It has to be Aokimaru-senpai for sure! And there's free cakes! Sign me up!"

"And it happens today, just in time!" Shippo said. "Come on, let's go!"

Aboard on Kirara's back Kagome gushed to Inuyasha, the least enthusiastic person in the plan. "Gosh, I'm having goosebumps! It'll be the largest gathering of your kind, Inuyasha. Can you imagine that?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "I don't know why you guys are so stoked about this. _I_ personally have zero interest in meeting them all."

"But they're all like you, Inuyasha. Won't it be like a…reunion of sorts?"

Inuyasha lifted an eyebrow before crossing his arms. "Don't be ridiculous. A reunion of _freaks_ , maybe."

They soared over a large fortress atop a mountain. Craggy stone-built towers cornered the impressive structure, clan flags rippling in the wind, bearing the red-and-white flower symbol of the Inuyoukai clan. Kagome immediately recognised it as the motif on Sesshoumaru's kimono.

She almost keeled over in excitement.

They watched from the sky the hectic bustle of activity in the exposed courtyard. A queue started at the gate, where a systematic chain of events followed inside until the crowd was gradually filtered out. The final gantry revealed to be a winding obstacle course, of which its challenging perils would then produce the best of its candidates.

"Wow!" Shippo shouted, completely bowled over. Even Inuyasha looked somewhat impressed, although he was still looking for an excuse to scoff.

They landed at the gate. There was a line outside, a real eye-opener for Kagome. There stood half-creatures of every species and origin, some even a chimera oddball of sorts. She saw batwings mounted to a human back, a boy's face speckled with reptilian scales, and even a tall goose wearing a kimono, complete with special slippers for its webbed feet.

Kagome thought her past experiences with such beings (she wasn't even thinking of Inuyasha) might have turned her blasé. But she found her eyes constantly searching for any trait of humanity they might exhibit in their strange skins. They were all unimaginable, all queerer than the last one.

She felt rude for staring at them, and they in turn stared back at her quizzically.

"If you're feeling pity over their predicament, _don't_ ," Inuyasha muttered quietly beside her. "They don't need any of that crap."

"I still wouldn't go as far as to call them freaks."

Inuyasha smirked. "We're barely in, Kagome. Are you telling me that thought never crossed your mind when you first saw me?"

Kagome's face flushed with indignance. "Never!"

"Hello!" called out a soft voice. It was the ninja from before, giving out the free cakes. Beside him was the tall samurai.

"Oh look, it's them!" Sango said, skipping over.

She looked at the strange cakes. "They're _crumpets_!" The ninja exclaimed. "You guys must be here for the recruitment exercise!"

The samurai narrowed his eyes in scrutiny at Inuyasha, before going forward to rub his dog ears. "Definitely _hanyou_ ," he concluded.

"What the heck! Don't touch me!"

The ninja tilted his head curiously when he saw Kagome. He had furry cat-ears sprouting from his mask, and robin-blue marbles for eyes. _Very cute_ , Kagome thought.

"Ehhhh?" he went. "You're not a _hanyou_ but you're definitely familiar." He stopped to think then gasped dramatically. "Cor blimey! You're that girl in the picture whose mother-in-law has scorned and wanted you to be done away with like a Mexican telenovela!"

"I don't have a mother-in-law!" Kagome screeched back.

"But it's impossible—you even have the same resplendent bosom!" The ninja squeezed her chest just to make sure. " _Kyaaa_!~" He then squealed, running behind the samurai's back when Inuyasha brandished his sword.

The samurai coughed. "Forgive my partner. He gets very excited when he meets new people." He bowed down, a very low, honourable bow. "My name is Goro. Pleased to meet all of your acquaintances!"

If the ninja was playful and mischievous, the samurai would be his stark contrast. Goro bore an unyielding disposition, a conspicuous black _katana_ hanging quietly by his hip. His long hair was pulled back in a sharp ponytail. Despite his hard-lined features, his face was rather easy on the eyes.

"Goro," Sango repeated softly, cupping her cheek. She whispered to Kagome. "Now _that's_ what you call a man's man."

"And I'm Johnny!" the ninja raised his hand. He had a comparably smaller build, his tight ninja suit lending his body an androgynous effect.

Johnny pulled out his mask to reveal an interesting face, boyish and framed with blonde waves that complemented his blue eyes. And of course those cat ears. He was without doubt, Kagome was sure, a Caucasian. (A Cat-casian?)

He gave a theatrical bow. "How do you do? My favourite food is fish and chips and on weekends I love to play bingo. Nyaaan!~"

"My my, I love your ears already! Can I touch them?" Kagome asked, and Johnny offered himself, purring the whole time.

"Johnny, are you a _hanyou_ too?" Miroku quickly asked, before Inuyasha could bite.

"No, but I'm planning to make one!"

There was an awkward silence. Inuyasha was sure the ninja was just another idiot. "Weird flex but okay."

Johnny turned to the samurai. "Goro-kun, let's give them a special tour of the place!"

"Sure."

They went in through the gates, the Inu-tachi gang slack-jawed and wide-eyed as they witnessed the flurry of activities inside. (Except for Inuyasha, who was trying to act cool and unbothered.)

There was an interview booth which was the first step to cast out any unsuitable candidates. A lot of the _hanyou_ , most looking like runts of the litter, were sent home crying.

"My heart aches for them," Miroku observed. "Surely there is a use even for the weak ones?"

"The General has no room for ineptitude," Goro answered firmly. "Surely only the best soldiers will be drafted." His face turned to Sango suddenly with a smile. "Miss, I see you're carrying a heavy load on your back. It's not good for women in the long run. Here, allow me to assist you."

"Ah, it's—it's alright! It's called Hiraikotsu and looks heavy, but it's made with the lightest wood! Really!" Sango blushed and Kagome giggled. Inuyasha and Miroku passed each other a look.

They heard a series of shrieks at the end of the courtyard which housed the ever-intimidating obstacle course. A contender was seen shooting off from a smoking war cannon, while others were falling off a suspension rope bridge and down into an artificial crocodile-infested river, where they quickly became fodder. Sango covered Shippo's eyes.

Johnny smiled at Kagome , unpeturbed by their surroundings. "Ah, what did you say your name was, Sis? Can I call you Sis?"

"I'm Kagome Higurashi. And this is Inuyasha…"

Johnny froze, his eyes like headlights. "Kagome Higurashi?" he repeated in disbelief. "As in...The Oracle from the Future— _that_ Kagome Higurashi?"

She laughed. "The title sounds very fancy but it does sound like me..."

"Holy gadzooks she's here!" Johnny squealed to his crew. "Quick spread the tables! Slaughter the chickens! Tell the General the Oracle is here!"

The crew started clamouring around in circles.

Inuyasha felt a shift in the air, and a heavy familiar _youki_ tingled in his blood. They heard a loud, sonorous voice singing.

 _"_ _Oooh see that girl , watch that scene…"_

Kagome turned towards its direction, an overjoyed smile plastered on her face. She ran to Aokimaru as his large figure approached them, his usual rakish grin appearing first.

 _"_ _...Dig it, the dancing queen..!"_

"Ah my sweet mademoiselle! How I missed you!"

"Aokimaru-senpai! I missed you too!" They intercepted each other in a tight, whirling hug.

Miroku had to restrain Inuyasha with his staff, who was gnashing his fangs like a rabid dog. "Inuyasha, remember he's your uncle!"

"Good grief, Johnny," Aokimaru then said once the pleasantries were done. "I could hear your screaming from all the way inside the fortress!"

"My bad, chief!"

As usual Aokimaru was decked out in his thick-plated armour, although he had forgone his imposing helmet this time. Kagome looked closer, and realized the red lacquer on his armour was from _dried blood._ He smiled down at her, the corner of his lone eye crinkling.

"I'm glad you decided to come. I see you've been introduced to my Colonel and the Captain Commander. The three of us will helm the new imperial army of Edo, and together we'll create a new future for the entire country. When are _you_ ready to fill in your seat as our divine High Oracle, Kagome Higurashi?"

Johnny and Goro waved, all smiles. "Nyaaan!~"

"What?!" Kagome finally keeled over and her friends rushed to aid her fainting spell.

General Aokimaru turned to walk back into the fortress. "Don't take too long, Kagome. Once today's exercise is done, we will commence with our training very soon. So many preparations, and a whole lot of arrangements! I'm going to be a busy man!" He glanced at his subordinates. "Ah, Johnny, Goro. Make sure our special guests stay for dinner. Kagome and her friends have come a long way to see us after all. Oh hi, Inuyasha."

"Yessir!"

"Kagome-chan, are you okay?" Sango fanned her face.

Inuyasha growled angrily towards the looming fortress. "That nutcase. He's completely serious about making Kagome join him, isn't he?"

"Oracle… Join the army… " Kagome mumbled in a daze, running circles in her eyes.

That wasn't the plan when she came here!

 _To be continued…_

[A/N: I love Bollywood movies, and Kagome's dream was inspired by their romantic songs! Also, what do you think of the new Colonel and Captain? Johnny is obviously the cat ninja Sesshoumaru met in the previous chapter. These two OCs were originally from an old comic I drew as a kid, and decided to breathe them into life here. Thanks for reading!

Credits: Toxic by Britney Spears, lyrics by Cathy Dennis, Christian Karlsson, Henrik Jonback, Pontus Winnberg

Dancing Queen by Abba, lyrics written by Bjoern K. Ulvaeus, Aleksej Anatolevich Kortnev, Stig Anderson, Benny Goran Bror Andersson]


	18. A Gate-Crashing Guest

**A Gate-Crashing Guest**

The Colonel and the Commander of the Imperial _Hanyou_ Army were both hosting dinner for their distinguished guests that night. General Aokimaru was unable to join them, called away in a meeting, a busy man indeed.

Despite boasting high ranks, second-in-command only after the general, the pair had insisted on being called by their given names.

"You have rather unique features, Johnny! Did you come from outside Japan?" Shippo asked curiously, chewing on a melon mochi.

Johnny beamed. "That's because I'm a British Shorthair by breed. But worry not! " and he suddenly slammed the table as if someone had accused him of treason,"For my heart and spirit is unequivocally Japanese! _Banzai!_!"

Dinner was an elaborate affair in a large private room. There wasn't an empty platter in sight; by the eighth course, a fully sated Kagome wondered if the food was ever going to stop coming.

Shippo had been bombarding questions before dinner even started. He saw the flamboyant ninja-colonel as some sort of inspiring role model, and watched his antics with besotted eyes.

Johnny in turn was all warm and full of panache, a wonderful entertainer to his guests. He would cheerfully answer all of Shippo's questions no matter how silly, much to Inuyasha's chagrin.

"Oh yeah, I remembered you said you wanted to have your own _hanyou_ offspring too!" Shippo exclaimed.

"Nyaan!~ That I do!"

"Don't be an idiot," Inuyasha snapped at last. He had been wiping Tesseiga quietly at the back, and now he couldn't take the asinine conversation anymore. "Who the hell wishes to have a _hanyou_ child? It's not something you just plan on a whim."

Everyone saw that Johnny was clearly affronted by Inuyasha's callous remark."Take back your words. It's not a whim!" Beside him Goro remained quiet, drinking his tea. "It'll be a special child born from true love and it will never know harm."

Inuyasha sniggered sarcastically. "Well good luck, Johnny boy."

"Um, do you already have someone you love?" Kagome asked, desperate to break the building tension in the room. Inuyasha had been especially prickly ever since they stepped into the fortress. His wary eyes were all over the walls, his hand ready on his sword's hilt.

"Of course!" Johnny replied, all smiles again. "In fact, we just got back from our honeymoon mid-spring!"

"Wow!" Everyone tried to conjure the image of Johnny's human wife in their heads, a blushing newly-wed.

"She must be already _with child_ as we speak," Miroku quietly commented over his food, then sent a naughty look at Sango. She held her impulse to poke him back with her chopsticks.

"Inuyasha, what was that?" Kagome demanded, when dinner was over and they were all lounging in the guest room. Johnny had sent word that General Aokimaru _insisted_ that they stay for the night. Two women played the _koto_ for them in a brilliant performance, and with Sango nowhere to be seen, a tipsy Miroku was having a ball, plying them with wine.

When their performance was over the womenleft and he was overcome with sleep on the large cushions, a happy smile on his face.

Shippo and Kirara were catching fish at the small pond outside the verandah.

"What?" Inuyasha replied. "I'm busy playing my Tetris game. Go away."

"That was really rude, what you said to Johnny just now."

"Oh yeah? I just wanted to wake his idea up. There's nothing good from being associated as a half-demon, _or_ with one!"

"We're all associated with you, Inuyasha. Are you saying we're no good?"

"Well," he said, squirming uncomfortably, "I never specifically _asked_ for it."

"I thought you were over this. This...inferiority complex you have over your own blood."

"I absolutely do not!"

His face was bright red with anger. For a moment Kagome thought he was going to hit her.

Instead he threw his game on the floor, its batteries flinging out. "You don't understand anything! You're not me, and you'll never be able to walk in my shoes!"

"Is it my fault that you never open up? You don't even wear shoes, Inuyasha!"

Just then they heard the echoes of laughter outside the door. Inuyasha and Kagome quickly settled back, pretending to be busy.

Sango and Goro walked in, carrying a stack of folded beddings into the room. Shippo and Kirara too returned at the same time, a koi fish in the _neko_ 's mouth.

"And where the hell did _you_ go, Sango?" Inuyasha rattled on, eyeing the samurai in disfavour.

"Oh shush, " Sango said. Then she leaned in to whisper to Goro. "Ignore him, he's just a grouchy fellow most of the time."

"I heard that!"

"We were helping the old maid to carry in your futons for sleep," Goro said as they placed the futons down. "The poor lady was struggling all alone. Call me soft-hearted, but I simply cannot stand to watch such things."

Sango counted. "Let's see, one for me and Kirara, one for Kagome and Shippo, one for the priest… I think that should be enough."

"How about mine?" Inuyasha said.

"You're sleeping on the floor."

"Why you—"

Goro interjected. "Sleeping on the floor is actually healthier…"

"Shaddup! I don't need any of your input!"

Kagome sighed and smacked her forehead. If only they were outdoors, she would have sent him smashing into the ground.

Shippo was already dead asleep when the ladies finally slipped into bed later. Before that Sango requested Kagome to brush down her hair, as they indulged in some girl talk.

"Sango?" She ran her friend's hair down with a traditional boxwood comb.

"What is it, Kagome?"

"You have a thing for Goro, don't you?" She giggled. "Admit it."

"Where did you get such a far-fetched idea from?" Sango went, but she was obviously blushing.

"I've never seen you so chummy with a guy you just met."

Sango considered her words. "Well, he's chivalrous, that's all."

"Chivalrous?"

"You know, a complete gentleman." Sango smiled. "Goro told me he watched his mother singlehandedly raise him and his six sisters. From a young age he's been surrounded by females so he's grown sensitive to their needs."

 _Gosh_ , Kagome thought. _They just spoke for the first time today and already he's telling her his backstory. How long did it take for me to know Inuyasha's? And I know zilch about Sesshoumaru._

"What I'm trying to say is…" Sango spoke, and her voice became all soft and tender, "is that he really knows how to make you feel like a woman."

Kagome frowned. "But _why_?" She couldn't find in herself to agree with Sango's views, and small bubbles of anger popped in her chest for some reason. "You shouldn't let men see you as a weaker species. We don't always need them to prove our worth. We should strive to be stronger so we don't have to always be dependent on them."

Sango chuckled, somewhat pensive. "Well that's the problem, Kagome. I'm tired of being strong. I'm tired of competing with men, to be like men. I may have gotten my accolades as a formidable _taijiya_ , but I had to sacrifice more things than them to be here. Sometimes, at the end of the day, you just want to be taken care of." She glanced behind at Kagome. "I don't know what issues you have with Sesshoumaru but I'm sorry. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. Maybe you should just let him save you for once, and end this silliness."

Was Sango trying to say she was acting a stubborn fool? It was rather unfair.

 _You're saying that because you're not seen as the weakest link_ , Kagome thought sadly. _Ever since I came here I've been pushing myself so hard so as not to be seen as incompetent. The last thing I want is to drag everyone down. And everyone keeps saying it's okay, that I have my own strengths, but I know it's not enough._

Nevertheless Kagome smiled and shook her head. She tickled her friend.

"But really, Goro is quite handsome, isn't he? Johnny is cute too, but he gives off too much cat vibes," she said, returning to their subject beforehand. How they sidetracked!

"So what?" Sango feigned indifference.

"Are you going to dump the priest and go for a samurai? Oh you should have seen how Miroku was flirting with the performers just now! If you've already decided, I'll do the same with Inuyasha too! Sisters for life!"

Sango was appalled as Kagome tried to hook their pinky fingers together in a promise. "Come on, Sango! We're still young, we should date around more!"

Sango laughed. "Your modern ideas sometimes scare me, Kagome." But later that night as she was tossing herself in bed, Sango found her thoughts pulling back to Goro and it brought her much embarrassment, and no sleep.

Beside her Kagome was hugging on her pillow contentedly, drooling as she mumbled Sesshoumaru's name.

Sango threw her own pillow at her.

* * *

Ah-Un dipped and soared through the sky, guided by Rin's tight hold on his reins.

"Puff the magic draaagon," the little orphan sung, although her sweet voice was swallowed in the wind. Behind her Jaken was blue in the face, his digested breakfast very close to making an emergency exit.

His stomach flip-flopped as their ride did a full upside-down loop. "Rin!"

"…and frolicked in the autumn mist in the land called…oooh!"

Puff the Magic Dragon didn't live in Oooh (it was Horah Lee, in case anyone was interested). The reason her singing had been interrupted was because something was fluttering through the air, a little piece of paper. It had smacked Rin right in the mouth.

She pulled Ah-Un's reins in surprise, causing the _youkai_ beast of burden to lurch. Jaken finally vomited his grilled bacon.

She clutched the paper in surprise. ""Hey Jaken-sama, what's this?"

Before the _kappa_ could collect his breath, Rin directed Ah-Un to giddy up full speed. They rode alongside their lord cruising up ahead, his large pelt billowing behind like a giant cotton candy.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, look what I got!"

The _daiyoukai_ flicked his eyes to her. "Another paper crane?"

"No! It's a flyer, pun intended! The title says "Recruitment Exercise for the Imperial Hanyou Army," Rin read. "Free cakes are on a first-come…"

Sesshoumaru stole the paper from her. "My impression was that you were illiterate."

Upon adjusting his sight to the words however, his face paled until its pallor was akin to his silvered mane. The edges of his eyes tinged red.

Sesshoumaru was livid.

The paper crunched in his hand, melting from the dripping acid of his claws.

"Every line _reeks_ of Aokimaru's stench. As long I draw breath, this Sesshoumaru will not allow such a travesty to take place."

Without further ado he flashed forward, his usually placid features contorted in rage.

Rin spurred Ah-Un into action, following in their lord's wake. Jaken threw up again, liquid omelettes this time. "Onwards steed! Towards a new adventure!"

They saw as their lord's head snapped back, furnishing them with one of his infamous glares.

"It is _not_ an adventure!"

* * *

The next morning after breakfast the group went to the garden for a little walk.

"I feel like the more we stay here the more I'm being pressurised to accept Aokimaru's offer," Kagome lamented as she hung over the bridge, watching Shippo and Kirara fish for _koi_ in the pond. "I'm not really complaining though. I mean everyone is being nice to me, treating me like I'm some princess."

Inuyasha snorted. "There's a _meaning_ to it."

Miroku shrugged. "Well. I don't care if I get to eat snow crab everyday. Ah Shippo, you almost let that one got away."

"But what does being an oracle entail?" Sango asked.

Kagome thought aloud. "Well, in ancient Greek times, an oracle is usually a priestess in a temple who is sought for her prophecies. Everyone seeks them for guidance, from paupers to kings, and they are highly esteemed in society."

"Ooohh," everyone went.

"And since you're from the future, then your prophecies must be extremely accurate," Miroku said, rubbing his chin. "No wonder the general sees you as an important instrument for warfare."

"I can't even call them prophecies anymore if they're really factual events. And it sounds really dangerous, doesn't it, getting involved in this?"

"Well, it's really your choice..."

"Ne Inuyasha, what do you think?" Sango turned to him.

Inuyasha bristled under everyone's gaze. He rolled his eyes. "Why should I say what I think? It's not like she listens to me anyway. It's pretty clear she's quite interested because she's sympathetic towards the General's cause. Or am I wrong, Kagome?"

Kagome gripped the wooden handrail of the bridge. Inuyasha was obviously still sore over last night's argument. Was it true though? Was she really getting swayed by Aokimaru's words?

"No way! I'm not going to dip my feet in anything that involves war! I'm a pacifist!"

"Good to know, Kagome-chan," Sango laughed.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes again and turned his back on her. Kagome could see he was unconvinced, and honestly it kind of scared her. She couldn't be convinced of herself if _he_ wasn't convinced.

 _No_ , she shook her head. _I should learn to believe in myself more!_

Everyone's heads then perked up when they saw a small crowd rushing down the hallway. They appeared like they were late for something.

"Oh, where are they running to?" Miroku said. "They looked all excited too. Is it free cakes again?"

"Crumpets," Sango corrected.

Being the nosy parkers they were, the group tailed them from behind until they saw a signage pointing towards the direction the crowd was heading.

"ORIENTATION CAMP THIS WAY" it said, with an arrow.

The Justice Warriors glanced at each other, then pulled Inuyasha by the ear as they dashed ahead. "Hey!"

They heard the loud thumping of _taiko_ drums when they reached the courtyard. A large crowd had already assembled there, most of them the _hanyou_ that had passed yesterday's recruitment exercise. A wide stage had been erected before them. Kagome saw a sea of bright, expectant faces and wondered what exactly was going on.

The crowd cheered suddenly. Three familiar figures made their way to the stage, and the drums rolled to a dramatic pitch to signal their arrival.

The Demon General of Edo was the first to step in front in a very imposing manner. He had worn his fearsome helmet with its large stag horns, and accompanied by his eyepatch made for an intimidating presence indeed. It was his first public appearance to the new recruits.

The audience held their breath at first. Her heart lurched when Aokimaru suddenly spun and dropped a fighting stance onstage, his booming voice rolling across.

 _"Indulgence in luxuries is our enemy!"_

The crowd exploded, raving mad. They waved their hands and stomped about like they were in a concert. So it wasn't just her, he really had that effect on people!

The samurai came next on hurried steps, as he whipped out his long katana, slashing the air in a lightning-quick arc.

 _"Deny the self, serve the public!"_

Sango squealed like a mad fangirl.

Johnny was the last one, coming in with a ninja run before he broke into a punching pose, a cat-like smile on his face.

" _Electric power is fighting power! Nyaan!~"_

"You go, Johnny!" Shippo cheered atop Miroku's shoulder, stars in his impassioned eyes.

 _H-hold on a minute_ , Kagome thought, _why do they all sound suspiciously like World War 2 slogans?_

The _taiko_ drums rolled louder as the trio finally made their full appearance, lined across the stage. The deep thuds resounded with everyone's heartbeats, cooking an especially rife sense of euphoria in the recruits.

Aokimaru finally addressed his audience, his eye sweeping through them in an authoritative manner.

"A very good morning to all my esteemed new recruits," he began. "Human, _hanyou_ , _youkai_ and all in between. I am General Aokimaru of Edo. On behalf of Colonel Johnny, Captain Commander Goro and myself, I would like to congratulate every one of you who have successfully passed your recruitment exercise, to be part of our new Imperial Army! And what else is more fitting than to do that through song?"

Kagome almost fainted when the General started singing. She had to hold Sango for support, if only the _taijiya_ wasn't busy hopping in excitement. Apparently Goro had found her in the crowd and flashed her a killer smile.

"You and I are cherry blossoms of the same period..." General Aokimaru sang in a soulful, sombre tone, and the crowd lapped every line. "We bloomed in the yard of the same military school..."

Inuyasha was yawning at this point, undaunted by the mass hysteria. "Y'all batshit crazy," he mumbled. He turned to leave then stopped short in his tracks. His gaze fixated at the sky, his nose crinkling.

There was a bright twinkle in the sky. He watched, Tesseiga clattering in its sheath, as something fell at a dangerous speed through the clouds. No, not falling. Inuyasha recognized the flying figure immediately.

"No friggin' way…" he went.

It crashed into the courtyard from above in a whirling maelstrom of _youki_.

The singing stopped and the audience gasped.

A loud growl whirred in the air as the strange entity lifted his head, revealing bared fangs and red eyes. His long silvered hair lay perfect, nary a strand out of place. Nevertheless he brushed it back in an effortless sweep behind his pelt.

Inuyasha staggered in his spot.

"...Sesshoumaru!"

 _To be continued…_

 **A/N: Ohno, anytime Sesshoumaru gatecrashes, it's bound to be bad news! Also the song that Aokimaru sang is called Doki no Sakura, and is an actual old military song.**


End file.
